Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 2011

twenty-eighth annual

Skagit Valley

Tulip Festival

A supplement to the Skagit Valley Herald, Anacortes American, Courier-Times and The Argus

editor bev crichfield: bcrichfield@skagitpublishing.com

table of contents

Advertising director Mark Dobie: mdobie@skagitpublishing.com Display Advertising Manager Deb Bundy: dbundy@skagitpublishing.com | 360.426.2126

Welcome!........................................... 4

advertising operations manager Sarah Hickman: shickman@skagitpublishing.com

Where and how to view the tulips....... 6

advertising operations Ashley Crerar, Jody Hendrix, Abby Jackson, Jenny Overman, Christina Poisal

Tulip tips and tours............................ 7 Skagit tulip history............................. 8

photographers wade clark, peter cherry, scott terrell, frank varga, matt wallis

Tulip Festival poster artist................ 10

design & layout Patricia Stowell

Jennifer Bowman murals................... 12

Advertising consultants Stephanie Harper : sharper@skagitpublishing.com Marcus McCoy : mmccoy@skagitpublishing.com Michelle O’Donnell: modonnell@skagitpublishing.com Kathy Schultz: kschultz@skagitpublishing.com Katie Sundermeyer: ksundermeyer@skagitpublishing.com Paul Tinnon: ptinnon@skagitpublishing.com

Map................................................... 15 Area art shows and galleries............. 17 Social networking.............................. 18 Events............................................... 20

©2011 Skagit Publishing | All rights reserved.

Many Thanks to the 2011 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Sponsors Adrift American Family Insurance Paul Genest Anacortes Brewery and Rockfish Grill Anacortes Chamber of Commerce Anacortes Inn Annie’s Pizza Station Applebee’s Neighborhood Bar and Grill Avenue Catering Azusa Farm and Gardens Bank of America, La Conner Branch Best Western College Way Inn Best Western Cottontree Inn Big Scoop Sundae Palace Birch Equipment Blade Chevrolet & RV’s Bob’s Burgers & Brew Bunnies By The Bay Burlington Chamber of Commerce Burlington Glass, Inc. Burlington-Anacortes KOA Business Bank of Skagit County Cafe Burlington Calico Cupboard Cafe and Bakery Cardiovascular Center At St Joseph’s Hospital Carino’s Italian Carpenter Creek Winery Cascade Candy Cedar Grove Composting Chili, Chowdah’ & Chocolate Cookoff Christianson’s Nursery Chuckanut Manor Seafood and Grill City of Anacortes

goskagit.com

City of Burlington City of Mount Vernon City of Sedro-Woolley Classic Helicopter Cocusa Motel Collins Office Supply Concrete Nor’west Conway 76 Conway Deli Conway Foods Conway Pub and Eatery Creekside Retirement Community Days Inn Deception Pass Boat Tours Details Unlimited Dimensional Communications Draft Pic’s Sports Bar & Restaurant Earthenworks Economic Development Association of Skagit County Edward Jones, La Conner Este Residences Fairield Inn & Suites Farmhouse Restaurant Fisher & Sons, Inc. Food Service of America Fred Meyer - Official Sponsor Frontier Communication Gere-A-Deli & Catering Company Golden Glen Creamery grafixCorp Hampton Inn & Suites Holiday Inn Express and Suites Hotel Planter I Love Skagit Il Granaio Restaurant Inn at Barnum Point

Kaptein’s Ace Hardware Katy’s Inn Kern Funeral Home Key Bank Ambassador Event Sponsor Kiwanis Club of Mount Vernon KVOS Television KWLE 1340 am “The Whale” La Conner Brewing Company La Conner Chamber of Commerce La Conner Channel Lodge La Conner Road Shell La Conner Seafood & Prime Rib House La Conner Waterfront Cafe Land Title Company Lincoln Theatre Centre MacGregor Publishing/Yellow Book USA - Phone Directory Sponsor Majestic Inn and Spa Marina Inn Marinus & Jill Rouw Martin Commercial Fueling Max Dale’s Steak & Chop House Mexico Cafe Mount Vernon RV Park Nancy Durell Nantucket Inn Nell Thorn Restaurant and Pub Network Solutions Northwest Farm Credit Oasys, Inc. Olive Garden Oostra Rouw & Associates Pacific Power Batteries Pasek Cellars Winery Pat Rimmer Tire

Skagit Publishing

Peoples Bank - Opening Ceremony Sponsor Perennial Favorites Pioneer Trails RV Resort & Campground Port of Skagit County Printstream Proflowers.com Puget Sound Energy Richard A. Rice RIS Insurance RoozenGaarde Rosabella’s Garden Bakery Royal Fork Buffet Schuh Farms Seattle Premium Outlets SeattleHeliTours.com Sedro-Woolley Chamber of Commerce Seeds Bistro & Bar Semrau Engineering Shell Puget Sound Refinery - Official Sponsor Skagit County Skagit Publishing - Official Sponsor Skagit River Brewing Company Skagit River Produce Skagit State Bank Skagit Valley Casino - Official Sponsor Skagit Valley Food Co-op Skagit Valley Gardens Skagit Valley Herald Skagit Valley Hospital Skagit Valley Styles Snow Goose Produce Sound Publishing dba Little Nickel Stanwood Grill

Star Map Stowes Shoes & Clothing Subway Sandwiches Swinomish Casino Tesoro The Outlet Shoppes at Burlington The Wild Iris Inn Three Rivers Inn Town of La Conner Transpac Marinas Trumpter Public House Tulalip Resort Casino tulees Tulip Country Bike Tours Tulip Inn Tulip Town Vendors Tulip Town/Skagit Valley Bulb Company Tulip Valley Vineyard United General Hospital US Bank - Tulip Parade Sponsor Warren Jewelers Washington Alder Washington Bulb Washington Federal Savings Whidbey Island Bank - Unveiling Sponsor Whidbey’s Coffee Whispering Firs B & B Wilbur Ellis William Bounds Williams and Nulle, PLLC Windermere Real Estate Wizards of Ooze Wyman Park Ltd.

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

e h t o t e m Welco ! y e l l a V t Skagi For tulip field maps, a full events listing or more information about tulips, log on to

www.tulipfestival.org or www.facebook.com/ SkagitValleyTulipFestival

By KATE MARTIN

T

he Skagit Valley Tulip Festival is often heralded by locals as the end of winter.

“We certainly strike a chord for people who are looking for something to kind of jump-start spring,” said Cindy Verge, executive director of the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

The vibrant, full-figured tulip blooms draw between 300,000 and 400,000 visitors to the Skagit Valley for the monthlong event, April 1-31, Verge said.

While the festival is held in April, bloom dates don’t often conform to the calendar. Two years ago the tulips bloomed well into May, Verge said. Officials often can’t predict too far ahead when the flowers will bloom — it all depends on “Mother Nature,” she said.

But once fields start blooming, so do carloads of visitors.

The last economic study done in 2000 — when the Tulip Festival was only 17 days long instead of a full month — determined that out-of-county visitors spent $14 million here during the Festival.

And there’s plenty to do during the 28th annual festival.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Verge urged visitors to check out the display gardens at RoozenGaarde and Tulip Town. Each grower will have new tulip varieties on display.

The festival also offers activities showcasing the area’s agricultural roots, shellfish farming, wineries and locally grown produce. Businesses across the county, including PACCAR, Golden Glen Creamery, Rosabella’s Garden Bakery and Taylor Shellfish, to name a few, invite visitors for an inside glimpse of their operations.

Visitors who want to view the tulip fields from a different perspective can rent a bicycle and travel on roads near the colorful tulip fields; enjoy a helicopter ride over the fields with Sky Flyn’ Helicopter or a tour of the tulip fields guided by the area’s Master Gardeners.

There are also opportunities to view artwork by area artists at seven venues around the county. Don’t forget to enjoy the artistic offerings at three local museums, including the La Conner Quilt & Textile Museum; the Museum of Northwest Art, with its exhibits of uniquely Pacific Northwest art; and the Skagit County Historical Museum, where you can find out more about the fertile Skagit Valley and the people who live here. And Skagit Publishing

while you’re in the area, check out a few other points of interest along the way, including the historic Lincoln Theatre in downtown Mount Vernon; the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve overlooking Padilla Bay west of Mount Vernon; and the area’s two casinos.

The popular Chili, Chowdah’ and Chocolate Cookoff is returning for a second year, Verge said. Proceeds from the event from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23, will benefit Skagit Valley high school students.

Verge said people should try heading to the fields during the week, when traffic is light.

“There are afternoons when you can go out to the tulip fields and nobody’s there, and they are just gorgeous,” Verge said. “It’s really easy to go out there and enjoy the tulips for an evening — and we get some gorgeous evenings during the month of April.”

Verge said visitors to the area enjoying the flowers should dress warmly.

“There’s a big difference between being out in the agricultural area in the flats and being at your house,” she said.

“It can be really chilly out there. It’s so easy to take off a coat or a layer than it is to not have it.” goskagit.com

Tulip tips & tours

By TAHLIA GANSER

L

ooking for ways to enjoy the colorful blooming tulips? Luckily, there are several at this year’s Skagit Valley Tulip Festival.

Organizers say it’s always a treat to get up in the air in one of the two helicopters that offer air tours of the beautiful tulip fields and check out the blooms from above. Sky Flyn’ Helicopter (360-3774115) and SeattleHeliTours (www.SeattleHeliTours.com) offer the perfect vantage point for the sea of tulips that cover the Skagit Valley.

The best places to walk through the tulips are at Tulip Town and RoozenGaarde, both just west of Mount Vernon.

RoozenGaarde offers more than 90 varieties of tulips in its 3-acre display garden and more than 135 varieties of plants, including daffodils, hyacinths, crocus, iris and specialty flowers. Admission is $5 for adults, $4 for military personnel and is free for children 10 and younger. For more information, www.tulips.com.

Tulip Town also has plenty of tulip varieties — including 19 new ones this year — and activities to keep the kids busy, including face painting, a children’s art table, kite demonstrations and trolley rides. Admission is $5 adults, $4 military personnel and free for children 16 and younger. Check out Tulip Town at www. tuliptown.com.

Parking is available at the two growers Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

sites and tourists and locals alike can walk through the sea of flowers for photo opportunities.

Tulip Country Bike Tours, on Avon Allen Road in Mount Vernon, offers bicycle tours that can be a good option for people wanting to view the feilds, said Nancy Jankelson, assistant director for the Tulip Festival.

“It’s probably a little bit faster because you’re not sitting in traffic,” Jankelson said.

Visitors can rent a bike and tour the fields themselves, or take a guided bicycle tour through the Skagit Valley with stops at tulip viewing gardens, the fields and some festival events. For more information, visit www.countrycycling.com.

And if you want to find out a little more about the history of tulips and agriculture in Skagit County while viewing the beautiful blooms, the WSU Master Gardeners offer guided tours of the fields.

Skagit County Sherriff ’s Office Sgt. Jenny Sheahan-Lee said deputies will be patrolling the area to direct traffic along and ticket drivers who are not following traffic and parking rules.

Sheahan-Lee said drivers who are distracted by taking pictures out their windows while moving will be ticketed as well as those who park on the shoulders of the roads.

“We write them and people are very unhappy with us,” she said.

Sheahan-Lee said both problems are Skagit Publishing

safety issues.

“Parking on the shoulder interferes with the normal flow of traffic and it causes dangers for pedestrians and it obstructs views,” she said. “Most people that come to view are coming with family so we certainly need to be concerned about young children coming in the roadway.”

She suggested viewing tulips where there is designated, organized parking.

To view the tulips safely and courteously, organizers have offered a few tips: • Don’t slow down and stop in the middle of a 50 mph zone with a string of vehicles behind you.

• Keep the roads open for emergency vehicles. Don’t block the roadway.

• Park in designated areas, only.

• Bicyclists should remember to ride in single file on the far right-hand side of the road. Cyclists who ride early in the morning should keep their voices down to avoid waking residents.

• Respect private property; don’t play on the farm equipment.

• Clean up your garbage.

• Use the portable restrooms available in parking lots.

• Keep dogs on leashes and your eyes on children.

• Don’t pick your own bouquets or pull produce from the fields.

• Visit the fields during the weekdays when there’s less traffic, or later in the afternoons or early evenings. goskagit.com

Tulip Festival boat, bike, vehicle and air tours DECEPTION PASS BOAT TOURS 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. each hour; closed Wednesdays 888-909-TOUR or www.deceptionpasstours.com Enjoy safe passage through the turbulent whirlpools of Deception Pass aboard the “Island Whaler.” Learn tales of characters who navigated the waters. From $21 per person. (43) HELICOPTER FIELD TOURS

BY SKY FLYN’ HELICOPTER 1/4 mile east of Lefeber Turf, Highway 536 10 a.m. to dusk Fridays through Sundays in April 360-377-4115

Experience the beauty of the tulip fields from the air. No reservations needed; call for dates and fares. (42) TULIP COUNTRY BIKE TOURS 13391 Avon Allen Road Mount Vernon 360-424-7461 or www.countrycycling.com Guided tours or rent a bike and explore the festival on your own. Tours follow routes through the Skagit Valley with stops at prime viewing gardens, fields and festival events. Rentals include self-guided tour information. (33) VICTORIA CLIPPER Seattle’s Pier 69 800-888-2535, 206-448-5000 or www.clippervacations.com Cruise and motor coach to La Conner from Seattle’s Pier 69. From $41, includes round-trip transportation, tour guide,

Skagit eautiful

B Discover

admission to bulb farms and free time in La Conner. Motor coach only April 8, 10, 15 and 17. Boat and coach April 9 and 16.

WSU MASTER GARDENER STEP-ON GUIDES Learn more about the agriculture and history of the Skagit Valley with the WSU Skagit County Master Gardeners as guides. To reserve, contact tonitulip@ comcast.net.

SEATTLEHELITOURS.COM 13724 La Conner Whitney Road Mount Vernon Weekends in April 206-767-0515 or www.SeattleHeliTours.com Scenic helicopter tours depart from the Farmhouse Restaurant. Tulip tours are approximately 15 minutes and can be customized. (7)

Valley Our Tulip “season” is just one of the many natural beauties the Skagit Valley has to offer. Ready to move here and experience it year round?

We’re ready to help!

WRE/Anacortes Properties 3018 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes, WA 360/293-8008 goskagit.com

WRE/Skagit Valley 1030 E. College Way, Mount Vernon, WA 360/424-4901

Skagit Publishing

WRE/San Juan Island 100 First Street, Friday Harbor, WA 360/378-3600 March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival

Skagit tulip history

T

he Skagit Valley’s mild climate and fertile farm fields are the perfect environment for growing tulips, as Mary Stewart Brown discovered in 1906.

Brown planted a few tulip bulbs from Holland and watched them grow into beautiful blooms.

Over the years, tulip farming also would bloom, so much that by 1997, farmers were planting 700 acres of bulbs, with a value of $42 million.

Bulbs were once grown east of Interstate 5, including the farmland now covered with shopping malls. And as time went on, bulb farmers began planting daffodils and irises, as well.

After her initial plantings, Stewart received more bulbs and encouragement from the USDA experimental station in Bellingham. She established a mail-order business and sold her bulbs to garden clubs in New England. Then 20 years later in 1926, her son, Sam Stewart, started up the Tulip Grange Bulb Farm near La Conner.

That same year, the federal government placed an embargo on bulb imports. As a result, many growers in Holland began sending family members to the United States to establish bulb farms. Most of them initially settled in Whatcom County, but later found that the Skagit Valley was more suitable for their needs.

The federal government then lifted the bulb embargo after World War II, causing American bulb growers to face competition not only from the traditional bulb-growing centers of Holland and England, but from Japan, as well.

That competition put many of the small farms in Skagit Valley out of business.

Despite some major challenges, the

bulb industry has continued as a hallmark of Skagit County agriculture.

While the bright, colorful blooms attract the tourists, the tulip industry is centered around the bulbs.

The bulbs are machine-graded, and the larger bulbs are marketed. The bulbs left for planting are from the farm’s previous harvests. Some of the stock, however, is purchased from Europe.

Planting is usually done in September and October. Then the bulbs are fertilized and chemically treated for disease control.

After they bloom and before the petals fall off, the blooms are sheared off by a mechanical topper. The shearing helps reduce the potential of disease spreading.

The flowers are picked beginning in late March, but the exact time of the harvest depends on the weather conditions.

Bulbs are left in the ground until summer, when digging and cleaning begins.

Visit La Conner

Washington’s Hidden Treasure

A 5th Generation Family Farm

Books & Gifts for readers of all ages!

April 1st through April 24th

Espresso • Soups • Pastries

Opening fOr the tulip SeaSOn 10am to 5pm Tuesday - Sunday (closed mondays) Pies • Ice Cream • Frozen Berries • Northwest Gourmet Products Locally Made One-of-a-Kind Gifts • Pie Samples Daily

360-466-1923

14285 La Conner-Whitney Rd. Mount Vernon •

facebook at THE BERRY BARN

*Just off of Hwy 20, turn at Farmhouse Inn towards LaConner. We are 1/2 mile down the road on the left.

Watch for our upcoming collaboration on

WiNe & Desserts open 7 days a Week THe scone lady Bakery in april Now in La Conner!

360-466-1758 360-547-9641 Free Wi-Fi Wines & Beers by the Glass or Bottle Fresh Baked every morning deli plates • deck seating on the Water scones • Breads • desserts

Hellams Vineyard Wine sHop & Bar

located in the lime dock Building 109 n. 1st st. • la conner

donald J pliner, Cole Haan, Josef Seibel, romika, Men’s, Women’s & Children’s Shoes

tulip fieldS,

privo, teva, Keen, Vasque, Smartwool Socks

before you hit the and more! check out our Waterproof rain bootS & Spring SandalS! 105 South first Street, la Conner

360-466-3397

Everybody reads at Independent Bookstores!

(360) 466-2665 721 S. First St. • La Conner

www.nextchapter.com

the artist behind the poster

By TREVOR PYLE

CAMANO ISLAND — he artist behind this year’s Skagit Valley Tulip Festival poster said the toughest part of creating this year’s image was coming up with something different.

But with a few suggestions, a little research and a lot of rough drafts, Camano Island’s John Ebner crafted this year’s poster: a knot of colorful onlookers gazing at a field of tulips with a gorgeous Skagit Valley landscape in the background.

Ebner, whose works are represented at more than 60 galleries in the Pacific Northwest and California, will be signing copies of the poster from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, April 2 and 16, and Sundays, April 10 and 24, at RoozenGaarde, 15867 Beaver March Road in Mount Vernon; and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturdays, April 9 and 23, and Sundays, April 3 and 17, at Tulip Town, 15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon. For more information,

T John Ebner

MOUNT VERNON

"One thing you must have before you hit the fields is a pair of comfortable shoes."

• Near Tulip Fields • Free Continental Breakfast • In-Room Coffee • Remote Control TV/with HBO • Deluxe Air-Conditioned From Guest Rooms • Free Local Calls • Handicap Accessible 1-2 • Kitchenettes persons • High Speed Internet additional • Voice Mail person add • Walk to Restaurants $5.00 • Complimentary Fitness Pass

75.00

$

(360) 428-5969 or (800) 599-5969

2200 Freeway Dr., Mount Vernon, WA Take I-5 Exit 227 (College Way).

Go west, then north on Freeway Dr. (Across from Walmart) www.TulipInn.net

SHOES AND CLOTHING EASY PARKING! Hours: Mon-Sat 9-6

Downtown Burlington

420 E. Fairhaven • 755-0570

COUPON

10 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

goskagit.com

check out www.johnebner.com.

A Northwest resident his entire life, Ebner started painting watercolors after his wife signed him up for a class. He started “going crazy” for painting as soon as he picked up a brush, and soon developed his own style for watercolor landscapes.

“That’s what I like doing most. I’m just fascinated by this Northwest landscape. The mist and the fog — everything about it,” he said. “Landscapes are a good fit for me.”

The idea of designing the Tulip Festival’s poster didn’t occur to Ebner until he was solicited by passersby at showings two years in a row.

After consulting with the Tulip Festival committee, he decided to create his image from a different vantage point than previous festival posters. Trying to get people and a building in the image, he took photos from the Snow Goose Produce Stand and began painting.

“I probably made 10 attempts until I found one I was happy with. I wouldn’t say I was freaked out, but I felt a fair amount of pressure to put my best foot forward,” he said.

The result? The bright, colorful poster for this year’s Tulip Festival.

“I’m really happy — I’ve had a lot positive responses,” Ebner said.

More of John Ebner’s art can be seen at his website, johnebner.com.

Chandler’s Square A Community Within a Community Chandler’s Square Retirement Community is located within walking distance of the charming Anacortes downtown corridor.

The magic of Chandler’s Square is more than its location.

The atmosphere of the community is relaxed, comfortable, cheerful, and energetic.

Chandler’s Square truly offers an alternative environment from the standard retirement community.

IT IS A SLICE OF HEAVEN ON EARTH!

360-293-1300

1 3 0 0 “ O ” Av e . A n a c o r t e s w w w. ch a n d l e r s q u a r e. c o m info@chandlersquare.com goskagit.com

Skagit Publishing

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 11

‘Don’t make the painting look better than the tulips’

By WHITNEY PIPKIN

W

hat started as a way to entertain the tulip watchers on a rainy day during the annual Skagit Valley Tulip Festival has grown into two sprawling murals of tulip-covered landscapes inside the barn at Tulip Town in Mount Vernon.

It’s been a labor of love for Anacortes artist Jennifer Bowman, who started one of the murals seven years ago and has been adding another panel to it every year. The mural now spans almost 100 feet of one wall of the building and 50 feet of another.

Bowman said the project started after she painted the Tulip Festival poster in 2004 and discovered the event was a good promotional opportunity for her work.

She started out selling her art in the barn at tulip growers DeGoedes’ Tulip Town. continued on page 16

Kenneth Killpack DDS Russell Borneman DDS 1218 29th St Suite A Anacortes, WA 98221 360.293.8451 Mercury Free Since ‘83

DON’T GET YOUR MERCURY “SILVER” FILLINGS REMOVED!

Unless your dentist practices the safe mercury removal protocols recommended by the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology. Find a safe mercury free dentist at www.IAOMT.org today!

sedro-woolley

museum & Gift Shop

Weds. & Thurs.

Noon - 4 p.m.

Saturday 9 a.m. - 4 p.m.

Sunday 1:30 - 4:30 p.m.

725 Murdock Street • 360.855.2390 • www.sedrowoolleymuseum.org 12 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

Open Every Saturday

May 14th - Oct 15th from 9AM - 2PM

7th St and “R” Ave

Anacortes

goskagit.com

www.ShellPSR.com Puget Sound Refinery

Tip-toe through the tulips...

14 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

goskagit.com

goskagit.com

Skagit Publishing

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 15

continued from page 12 Before long, the DeGoedes asked if she’d be interested in expanding her work to the center’s southern wall.

The wall featuring rows of potted tulip varieties only had a black backdrop. The DeGoedes’ first directions to Bowman: “Don’t make the painting look better than the tulips.”

Since then, Bowman has spent a few days each week of the Tulip Festival adding another 10-foot-by-12-foot canvas while visitors watch her work.

“It got to the point where people liked it so much, they kept making it bigger and more extravagant each year,” she said of the mural.

Tom DeGoede, the mastermind behind the indoor scene, has since added a waterway where tulip-filled boats float back and forth in front of the mural.

There’s also a wooden trellis and a miniature windmill in one corner.

Bowman’s impressionistic North-

west flavor adds a unique glow to the landscapes depicted on each wall. The completed southern wall mirrors the view across the Skagit Valley, from Mount Baker and the tulip fields to the San Juan Islands.

Bowman is halfway through the second wall of the mural, which depicts the traditional tulip fields of the DeGoedes’ Holland home. The tulips grow on islandlike plots of land, separated by waterways the growers traverse by boat.

This year, Bowman will add to the mural an image of the brokerage house from which growers historically sold tulips and cabbage in the Netherlands.

She said it will take her about three more Tulip Festivals to finish the mural on the north wall.

“I have three more years of job security,” she joked.

When she’s not painting, Bowman also runs the retail and kite shops inside Tulip

The Most Complete Music Store in the Pacific Northwest

Town. She said she “hasn’t calculated” the number of hours she’s spent painting or researching for the pair of murals but estimates it’s in the hundreds.

When Bowman finished the first wall’s mural in 2006, she added her signature and image in the bottom right corner.

In it, she’s resting (from her hard work) under a madrona tree and the setting sun.

S e rv i n g S k ag i t County SinCe

1937

LIVE YOUR DREAM! Stunning 6+ acre estate property on the shores of Campbell Lake near Anacortes, 90 quick minutes from Seattle.

A refurbished, mid-century barn is ready for weekend getaways, artist’s studio, shop or a new home for your horses!

Pastoral setting with warm Southern exposure and a new well. $687,000

M- T h 9 : 3 0 - 6 • F 9 : 3 0 - 9 • S at 1 0 - 6 • S u n 12-5 360 . 7 5 7 . 0 2 7 0 • 8 0 0 . 7 1 4 . 7 7 8 0 1 0 2 5 g o l d e n ro d r d . B u r l i n g to n 16 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

5638 Campbell Lake Rd. Anacortes, WA 98221, USA For more information, 360.202.8777 goskagit.com

TULIP FESTIVAL ART SHOWS AND GALLERIES ART AT THE SCHOOLHOUSE Christianson’s Nursery 15806 Best Road Mount Vernon 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 2-30 360-466-3821 or www.stanwoodarts.com The Stanwood Camano Arts Guild returns to the historic schoolhouse on the grounds of Christianson’s Nursery, offering paintings, photography, glass art, mixed media, turned wood and more.

(25) ART BASH At the Farmhouse Restaurant 13724 La Conner Whitney Road Mount Vernon 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. in April

360-391-5840 or www.artleaguenorthwa.com Art Bash is the annual presentation of works by Art League North, an eclectic group of regional artists working in a variety of media. (7) ART IN A PICKLE BARN Cascade Mall 201 Cascade Mall Drive Burlington 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Thursdays; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays, April 1-17 www.skagitart.org Watercolors, acrylics, oil paintings, pen and pencil, pastels, charcoal, photographers and collage. John Ebner, 2011 festival poster artist, will be on site from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 10 to sign posters. (1)

HUTCH STUDIO Re-Thought Art by Bunnies By The Bay artists 617 Morris St. La Conner Open daily 360-466-2303 or www.bunniesbythebay.com Handmade treasures made by a collection of Bunnies By The Bay artists in each room of this 1880s farmhouse. (14) PLEASANT RIDGE GALLERY AT REXVILLE 19299 Rexville Grange Road Mount Vernon 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily April 1-17 360-466-0469 or pre-show, 360-661-1850 Facebook: Pleasant Ridge Gallery at Rexville A collection of fine arts and crafts by local artists. Pottery, glassworks, jewelry, baskets, hand-turned wood and more. (6) continued on page 18

Daniel Rasmussen, DMD, FAGD, PS FAMily DentiStRy

Total approach to dentistry.

Our staff offers a gentle, caring approach to help make each visit a positive one.

Free Whitening

with cost of new patient exam and x-rays (a savings of $475)

We WeLCOMe neW patients!

360.293.8421 • 901 8th Street • Anacortes www.drdanielrasmussen.com goskagit.com

Skagit Publishing

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 17

Tulip Fest twitterpated by social networking this year

continued from page 17 SAUK MOUNTAIN POTTERY 15102 Avon Allen Road Mount Vernon 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily in April 360-610-6354 Wood-fired stoneware and procelain with tulip designs around the corner from the previous location, in the bright yellow artists’ studio on Avon Allen Road. Handmade clothes, soaps/lavender products and art by Nancy Edwards.

(31)

By AARON BURKHALTER

L

ooking for the latest news on tulips before you head out to the fields this April? Get online first and check for photos on Facebook and 140-character updates on Twitter.

Tulip growers and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival have bolstered their social networking output this year, providing festival-goers one more tool for tip-toeing through the tulips: Twitter!

This year’s festival will be the first year for tulip fans to utilize active social

WILLIAM BOUNDS GALLERY 160 Cascade Place, Ste. 103 Burlington 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Mondays through Saturdays 360-404-2002 or www.williambounds.com A display of “The Art of the Tulip,� with tulip images by local and regional artists. (19)

!

! "

18 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

goskagit.com

networking accounts to enhance their experience out in the fields. Roozengaarde and the festival have Facebook and Twitter accounts that will update tulips fans on which fields are in bloom.

Tulip Grower Brent Roozen said RoozenGaarde has been using Twitter and Facebook for about a year, but this is the first year that social networking will play a big role in the festival. “It’s basically to give people who want to know about us the best information possible,� Roozen said.

RoozenGaarde lets its fans know via Twitter and Facebook about their greenhouse blossoms and planting schedule year round. Come April, expect regular updates about which fields are blooming or daily deals and promotions, which last year included a limited number of free tulip bunches or admissions RoozenGaarde’s display garden just west of Mount Vernon.

Skagit Valley Tulip Festival Assis-

tant Director Nancy Jankelson said the festival will offer weekly prizes to people who sign in on Facebook through their smart phones to select events and locations.

Growers and festival organizers hope that tulip fans also will contribute. They said maintaining a social networking account takes a lot of time that organizers don’t have during the festival.

Jankelson said the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival started its Facebook fan page last year, and it was primarily updated by fans, who posted photos and comments about their visit to the display fields. “It kind of built itself,� Jankelson said.

Existing websites will still display maps and direct people to blooming fields. Tulip grower Jeannette DeGoede said she’s even adding a page about planting and caring for tulips at www. tuliptown.com.

But for those with a Twitter or Facebook account, RoozenGaarde and the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival will have multiple updates each week.

So after you check the forecast, pack a lunch and clear your camera’s memory card for all those adorable family photos, check Twitter or Facebook to find out what’s happening in the fields.

Check out Tulip Festival updates and info: www.Facebook.com/ SkagitValleyTulipFestival & http://twitter.com/tulips_dot_com

! " # $ %" &# $ ' $ $(

) * + , -. / 011 * "" "#2 ! 3011

4 ) 5 6

" 6 " $ # #$

$$ #$' $ #$ $

-.11 4 7.318 - 3 # 11 33- 3 3

9% " ## " &# :, ;

t )PVS 4FSWJDF t /P 4NPLJOH 'BDJMJUZ t 'SFF 8JSFMFTT *OUFSOFU t 8BSN BOE 'SJFOEMZ 4UBČ t (SPVQ BOE $PSQPSBUF 3BUFT t &YQBOEFE $POUJOFOUBM #SFBLGBTU t 'SFTI #BLFE $PPLJFT &WFSZ /JHIU

, * <

= , <

=6

Or Call 360-854-9415

goskagit.com

#OMMERCIAL !VE s !NACORTES 7! s 0HONE &AX THEMARINAINN COMCAST NET s WWW MARINAINNWA COM Skagit Publishing

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 19

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS PEOPLES BANK PRESENTS 2011 GALA CELEBRATION 5:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, March 31 Skagit Valley Casino Resort 5984 N. Darrk Lane, Bow 360-428-5959 This evening celebration features live jazz by the Jerry Schreuder Trio, raffle items, a buffet dinner and dessert auction with creations by artisans at The Skagit. $50, advance purchase required. (30)

ART IN A PICKLE BARN

“

Opening reception 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, April 1 Cascade Mall

Be

s

alu V t

e”

“Mo d an

201 Cascade Mall Drive, Burlington www.skagitart.org Opening night reception with awards; meet the artists. (1)

ANACORTES QUILT WALK Hours vary; April 1-30 Commercial Avenue, Anacortes www.fidalgoislandquilters.com Guild members from the Fidalgo Island Quilt Guild share their work and collections of traditional, contemporary and art quilts, as well as wearable art. Look for Tulip signs in downtown businesses and shop windows. Maps available at participating merchants and Visitor Center. (27)

in Anacortes! ” n u F st

Call Toll Free:

800-852-0846

Located in Historic Old Town Across From The Marina 20 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Art Association Presents the 22nd Annual

Art In A PIckle BArn April 1 - April 17

• 15 Restaurants Within 5 Blocks • 10 Minutes to Ferry Terminal • Walk to Antique Stores & Galleries • Oversized Deluxe Rooms With New Beds, Carpet & Paint • Hair Dryers, Refrigerators & Microwaves • HD Flat Screens

360-293-0602

9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 2; 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday, April 3 Sedro-Woolley High School 1235 Third St. Sedro-Woolley 360-855-1841 Chainsaw carving demonstrations and sales, professional woodcraft vendors, student competitions, silent auction, wood carving raffle and more. Free. (8)

Open Sun 11-6 • Mon-Thur 10-6 and Fri-Sat 10-9

capsanteinn.com

906 9th St. • Anacortes

WOODFEST

Skagit Publishing

Watercolor, Oils, Photography, Pen/Pencil, Pastels, Jewelry, Glass, 3D Art, Festival Merchandise, DAILY ART DEMOS and more!

John Ebner - Tulip Poster Artist

Poster Signing • Sun. April 10, 1-4pm Photography by Louise Magno, ‘Best Tulip Art’ 2011 ‘Reaching for the Heavens’

Burlington Cascade Mall Main Mall Entrance

(Across from Food Court)

201 Cascade Mall Dr Burlington, WA 98233

goskagit.com

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS 2011 POSTER ARTIST JOHN EBNER Poster Signing • RoozenGaarde 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

April 2, 10, 16 and 24 15867 Beaver Marsh Road, Mount Vernon • Tulip Town 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

April 3, 9, 17 and 23 15002 Bradshaw Road, Mount Vernon

HISTORIC HOME TOUR, 2ND ANNUAL 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, April 2 360-466-3365 www.skagitcounty.net/museum Visit some of Skagit County’s loveliest vintage homes. $15 in advance, $20 day of event. Contact the Skagit County Historical Museum for ticket info.

KIWANIS SALMON BARBECUE 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 2-24 Hillcrest Park Lodge 1717 S. 13th St., Mount Vernon 360-420-9610 Alder-grilled salmon with baked

Fresh Flowers & Exceptional Gifts!

Come visit RoozenGaarde’s beautiful Display Garden this spring!

Tulips are fresh from the field.

Buy 4 bunches and get the 5th bunch FREE! Take home a bouquet of fresh-cut flowers, stroll our Garden planted with 1/4 million blooms, and enjoy the beauty of our valley!

Our Garden & Gift Shop is open 9am-7pm daily during the festival.

Open Year Round!

Hours: Mon-Sat 9am-6pm Sun/Holidays 11am-4pm 15867 Beaver Marsh Rd. 360-424-8531 www.tulips.com goskagit.com

Skagit Publishing

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 21

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS under the tent on the big stage in Gilkey Square. Fundraiser for the La Conner Boys and Girls Club. (14)

ANACORTES WINE FESTIVAL Noon to 5 p.m. Saturday, April 9 Port Warehouse at the base of Commercial Avenue Anacortes 360-293-7911 www.anacortes.org.

This event combines 30 regional winters and six restaurants for winetasting, appetizers and live music.

Tickets from $40. (27) potato, coleslaw, garlic bread, beverages and ice cream. $12 adult plate, $10 child/senior plate. I-5 Exit 226, head east, turn right on 13th Street, four blocks to Hillcrest Park. (2)

360-610-7116 or www.svflyers.uslaxteams.com Come see why lacrosse is the fastest growing sport in the country.

Free. (3)

TULIP FESTIVAL LACROSSE JAMBOREE

TULIP FROLIC

5 p.m. Friday, April 8; 10 a.m. Saturday, April 9 Skagit River Park 1100 South Skagit St., Burlington

11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 Gilkey Square Downtown La Conner 360-428-5959 Come enjoy free entertainment

FRESH SHELLFISH Oysters • Clams • mussels

Geoduck • Crab • Prawns • Salmon Open 7 Days Picnic & BBQ Area 9th Annual Samish Bay

2182 Chuckanut Dr. Bow, WA 98232

Bivalve Bash & Low Tide Mud Run

360-766-6002

www.taylorshellfish.com

July 16, 2011

22 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

TULIP RUN — 26TH ANNUAL 9:30 a.m. Saturday, April 9 Skagit Regional Airport Burlington 360-540-1611 or www.tuliprun.com This scenic 2 or 5-mile course is flat and fast on gravel-packed trails. $12, or $22 with the shirt; free for ages 14 and younger and 70 and older. (32)

US BANK PARADE 2 p.m. Saturday, April 9 First Street La Conner 360-428-5959 US Bank sponsors this annual Kiwanis Club of La Conner Not So Impromptu Tulip Parade, with everything from farm animals and mascots to pets. Bring your lawn chairs and line up to watch the parade. Free.

Parade entry forms available at Skagit County US Bank branches and online at www.tulipfestival.org. (14) goskagit.com

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS “WORLD’S BIGGEST” GARAGE SALE Saturday and Sunday, April 9-10 1410 Virginia St. Mount Vernon 360-336-9453 or www.skagitcounty.net Find a treasure or bargain in every corner. (10)

DOWNTOWN MOUNT VERNON STREET FAIR 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 15-17 Along First Street, Mount Vernon 360-336-3801

KIWANIS Club of Mount Vernon

2011 Indoor/Outdoor Dining 1717 South 13th Street

Delicious Dinner Includes: Alder-Grilled BBQ Salmon Baked Potato • Cole Slaw Garlic Bread • Beverage Ice Cream Child/Senior Plate $10 goskagit.com

$12 Skagit Publishing

24th Year • Saturday, April 2nd thru Sunday April 24th, 2011 Lunch or Dinner 11 am - 7 pm

COUPON

$2.00 off reg. dinner

Mon. Tues. Wed. only • All 3 weeks Limit 4 meals per coupon. No cash value.

Can not be used with any other offer.

SANCTIONED

Raising Funds for Skagit County Youth

EVENT

March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 23

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS www.mountvernondowntown.org This annual Tulip Festival event features live music on two stages, children’s activities and a variety of art from more than 100 juried arts and crafts vendors, food and more.

(10)

BURLINGTON SCRAPBOOKING SUPER SWAP MEET 9 a.m. to noon, Saturday, April 16 Burlington Parks and Recreation Center 900 E. Fairhaven Ave., Burlington www.recreation.ci.burlington.wa.us

Come enjoy scrapbooking and great prices, with supplies and goodies. (11)

CHILI, CHOWDAH & CHOCOLATE COOKOFF — 2ND ANNUAL 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 23 Creekside Retirement Community 400 Gilkey Road, Burlington 360-755-5550 www.crfeeksideretirement.com Taste Skagit Valley’s best chili, chowder and chocolate at the second annual benefit cookoff. Entertainment, activities, vendors, judges

Choose from selections of the best our farm offers, products crafted from the bountiful harvest of flowers, herbs and trees.

Hours: Mon-Sat 10-6 year round Sun 1-4pm April through Summer

4233 DeGraff Road • Oak Harbor 360.240.1216 • 360.298.0443 • www.aknotinthyme.com

An enticing selection of common and uncommon plants

PACCAR OPEN HOUSE 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday, April 16 12479 Farm-to-Market Road, Mount Vernon 360-757-8311 See the trucks and how they’re tested. The 242-acre site provides test and development for all PACCAR divisions, including Kenworth, Peterbilt and DAF trucks. The

ANTIQUES, VINTAGE, REPURPOSED, & REFRESHED TREASURES FOR HOME & GARDEN! Tip toe through the tulips and then head over to Anacortes for this fabulous event and shop, dine and stay in our picturesque little town!

Saturday, April 16th, 2011 9:00 am - 4:00 pm 100 Commercial Avenue Anacortes, WA 98221 Admission - $3.00

360-466-3821

www.christiansonsnursery.com

15806 Best Road, Mount Vernon Hours: Daily 9-6 24 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

and people’s choice awards. Proceeds benefit Skagit high school students. Free for seniors; $5 adults; $2 children; free for children 5 and younger. (19)

Skagit Publishing

info@theislandchicks.com or 360.420.8787 www.theislandchicks.com www.anacortes.org goskagit.com

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS tour highlights test labs and trucks manufactured by PACCAR. One mile north of Highway 20 on Farm to Market Road. Free. (15)

THE “PRODIGIOUS POTATO” SILENT AUCTION Saturday and Sunday, April 16-17 420 Myrtle St., Mount Vernon 360-336-3801 www.spiritofthespud.com This silent auction features a dozen potato statues designed by Greg Otis and decorated by local artists.

Each spud is unique to its artists’ imagination. The auction will benefit the “Spirit of the Spud” and the

attempt to break the Guinness Book of World Records of Potatoes Au Gratin on Sept. 17. (10)

“PSALMS, HYMNS & SPIRITUAL SONGS: A TULIP FESTIVAL CONCERT” 7 p.m. Saturday, April 16 Bethany Covenant Church 1318 S. 18th St., Mount Vernon 360-424-9399 Uplifting music for the spring season featuring Bethany’s adult, children’s and youth choirs, and the Bethany Bells. Free. (38)

TULIP PEDAL — 30TH ANNUAL Saturday, April 16 La Conner Middle School 503 N. 6th St., La Conner 360-428-3236 www.skagitems.com or www.active. com for registration Ride on your own 20, 40 and 60-mile routes, or ride all three.

Registration from 7 a.m. to noon.

The course is open until 4 p.m. $30 preregistration; $35 day-of. $12 for the technical jersey. Free for children 14 and younger. (14)

www.facebook.com/SkagitValleyTulipFestival

Thanks Mom, for choosing Life.

humanlife.net We Respect Human Life and Work Together to Protect It, at All Stages and in All Conditions.

Your local HUMAN LIFE affiliates: Anacortes 360-293-3005 goskagit.com

Sedro-Woolley 360-856-6561 Skagit Publishing

Mount Vernon 360-424-1943 March 2011 | Skagit Valley Tulip Festival 25

Tulip Festival SCHEDULE OF EVENTS GARDEN ART FAIR 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, April 30 and May 1 Depot Arts Center 611 R Ave., Anacortes 360-293-3663 or www.depotartscenter.org This event features display gardens, a market place of garden art, sculpture and plants for sale, food booths and art in the gallery. (27)

For more information: www.tulipfestival.org

26 Skagit Valley Tulip Festival | March 2011

Skagit Publishing

goskagit.com

Don’t Forget To Stop And Smell The Tulips.

Whidbey Island Bank

Making Life A Little Easier MEMBER FDIC

For more information about us, please visit www.wibank.com, or visit any of our branches.

Cap Sante Court Retirement 360-293-8088

1111 32nd Street, Anacortes, WA 98221 www.CapSanteCourt.com

The Finest in Full Service Retirement Living Logan Creek Retirement 360-428-0222

2311 E. Division, Mount Vernon, WA 98274 www.LoganCreek.com

Studio, One & Two Bedroom Apartments • Delicious Meals Transportation • Housekeeping • Activities

More Winners!

More

reWards!

Jo Dee Messina The Music Room Series Saturday, May 14 at 7 & 9:30 pm

Featuring tributes to ElviS prESlEy, Buddy Holly & roy orBiSon Saturday, april 23 at 7 & 9:30 pm

SavE10ur%

with yo rewards Club Card!

all The TiMe!

Southern Fried Chicks

Rock-N-Roll Heaven

Featuring CMt CoMedian Etta May & SpEcial GuEStS

Saturday, June 18 at 7 & 9:30 pm

theskagit.com |

ALL YOU CAN EAT!

FRIDAY NIGHT SEAFOOD Fresh, Local & Delicious!

Block Party Hot Seat Winners Each Hour 10 am – 5 pm!

Just 5 Minutes North of Burlington On I-5 at Exit 236 Lots of Parking – Over 1,000 Spaces! theskagit.com 877-275-2448

Wa: 800-745-3000

Buy Show Tickets Service Charge Free at the Casino Cashier Cage

$100 Slot Ticket – One Rewards Club Player

PLUS!

16

50 Why Only $ Pay with your Rewards Club Card!

MOre? $19.41 without Rewards Card. Tax and gratuity not included.

GET

$20 Slot Ticket

– For each Rewards Club Player on the same “Block” of Slots!

$30 FOR $20

*

Present your Rewards Card at either cashier cage for $10 Free Slot or Table Play when you buy-in for $20. Limit one per person per day. Fridays, 9 am - 5 pm.

8 CHANCES To WIN $1,000!

Owned by Upper Skagit Indian Tribe

Casino opens at 9 am daily. Must be 21 or older with valid ID to enter casino, buffet or attend shows. *Must be a Rewards Club Member – Membership is FREE! Must be present to win. Must play full redeemed value of all buy-in offers. Limit one per person per day.

Visit Rewards Club Center for details. Management reserves all rights. Rewards discounts cannot be combined with any other offer.

rewards Club Appreciation Day

New! Spin-n-Win Hot Seat Drawings!

One Winner Each Hour • 11 am, Noon, 2 pm – 7 pm

30 20

GET

$

for $

Present your rewards Card at either cashier cage for $10 Free Slot or Table Play when you buy-in for $20.

*