Skagit Valley tulip festival in full bloom

MOUNT VERNON, Wash. — Sunshine in recent days has Skagit Valley tulips blooming.

Tulip festival spokeswoman Betsy Nevi in Mount Vernon says the fields of flowers are showing lots of color.

The festival runs through the month of April. Visitors can drive by the tulip fields between Mount Vernon and La Conner and walk through two display gardens. There are other events and activities through the valley.

Last year the Skagit Valley Tulip Festival drew an estimated 350,000 visitors from every state and 51 foreign countries.

When the flowers are gone, growers will dig up and process the bulbs for shipment in the fall.