Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival provides colorful journey amid sea of blooming flowers
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- Erin Mecklenburg and her three daughters look at flowers during Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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- Rows of tulips are pictured inside Ashton Gardens on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Thanksgiving Point during the annual Tulip Festival event.
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- People walk along a path to explore different flowers at Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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- Rows of tulips are pictured inside Ashton Gardens on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Thanksgiving Point during the annual Tulip Festival event.
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- People walk along a path to explore different flowers at Thanksgiving Point’s Tulip Festival on Thursday, April 10, 2025.
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- Visitors take in the scenery inside Ashton Gardens on Thursday, April 10, 2025, at Thanksgiving Point during the annual Tulip Festival event.
As Thursday’s weather provided near perfect conditions for outdoor activities, Erin Mecklenburg and her three daughters strolled along rows of colorful flowers inside Ashton Gardens at Thanksgiving Point.
For Mecklenburg and her family, of Elk Ridge, the Tulip Festival is an event they make it a point to attend each year.
She said the scenery and various activities are just some of the reasons their family always comes back.
“Just all the pretty flowers, letting the kids run around and all the different cute little photo ops that they have set up along the way are really fun,” Mecklenburg said.
Thursday marked the second day of operation for the 2025 festival.
Each spring, the 50-acre Ashton Gardens transforms into a vibrant and aromatic springtime celebration with the Thanksgiving Point Tulip Festival.
Mecklenburg and her daughters were among hundreds perusing beds of flowers Thursday.
Earlier that day, they were joined by three other families, making for one large group all exploring the different blooms.
“It was pretty fun and a little bit crazy to have 12 4-year-olds (here),” Mecklenburg said jokingly.
Over the next month, she said more than likely they’ll make several more trips to the event.
According to a press release sent out by Thanksgiving Point, nearly one million spring flowers, including Dutch tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, poppies and more will make for an unforgettable display of color and design.
“Typically we’re showcasing about 750,000 flowers,” said Abby Allard, communications manager at Thanksgiving Point. “This year we’ve added over 100,000 flowers, primarily tulips, to our display. So we will have brand new display areas, (and) brand new designs.
Though the Tulip Festival has provided memorable experiences for visitors for more than two decades, the event offers something different each year for attendees.
The work to make the special experiences come to life begins months in advance.
“In October, we dig up all of the bulbs, and our team redesigns and replants new bulbs that we import from Holland every single fall. So that way, every time you visit the Tulip Festival, no matter what year, it’s something different,” Allard explained.
Over 400,000 tulips imported from Holland and 550,000 other spring flowers will bloom during the six-week festival.
Additionally for 2025, Allard said the Tulip Festival will feature brand-new aesthetic floral décor. Seven large, colorful topiaries in the shapes of butterflies, mushrooms, gnomes, fairies and more will be up to 9 feet tall and are scattered throughout the Ashton Gardens.
“It’s creating this really whimsical atmosphere that’s unlike anywhere else in Utah at this time (of the year). It’s like the perfect spot to really embrace spring, really immerse yourself in the sensations of spring,” Allard said.
Other offerings include Tulip Festival Classes, Tulip Festival Tours, a Tulip 5K on April 26 and a new Buffet Brunch at the Tulip Festival.
Allard said the event is not just a draw for Utahns; people from surrounding states also descend upon Lehi to experience the Tulip Festival.
“We are the only Tulip Festival in the Rocky Mountain region. Our closest Tulip Festival is in Washington. So we get tons of people from Idaho, Wyoming, Colorado, Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada,” she noted.
The full-sensory, all-ages pop of color experience is consistently voted as one of the best spring flower festivals in the country and Utah’s best festival for eight years running, according to Allard.
As a boost for Utah County tourism, Thanksgiving Point also offers a hotel package to attract more visitors.
“It brings tons of people to just like, really embrace spring,” Allard added.
The Tulip Festival runs through May 17 and operates daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m., Monday through Saturday.
Ashton Gardens is located at 3900 N. Garden Drive in Lehi.
Visitors are encouraged to purchase tickets in advance. Admission prices range from $17-$29 per person.
More information can be found online at ThanksgivingPoint.org/TulipFestival.
