Tulip Fest Soon Returning To Richardson Adventure Farm

SPRING GROVE, IL — The popular tulip festival at Richardson Adventure Farm will soon return for the spring season.

An exact opening date will depend on when the 12 acres of tulips are in bloom, but the best guess is sometime between April 22 and 29, according to a news release from Richardson Adventure Farm. Those interested on updates regarding the tulip fest are encouraged to check the Richardson Adventure Farm Facebook page.

Visitors to the website also can sign up for the farm’s newsletter. Recipients of the newsletter will be among the first alerted when an opening date is finalized, said George and Wendy Richardson, who operate the farm along with George’s brother, Robert, Robert’s wife, Carol, George’s son, Ryan, and Ryan’s wife, Kristen.

“We’re especially excited because we’re predicting we’ll have a million flowers in bloom this year,” George Richardson said. “We’ve planted 300,000 tulip bulbs each year for three years. The bulbs that were among the first to be planted are having babies. So, this year should really be something to see.”

There will be more than 60 varieties of tulips, including: daydream, which is a yellow-orange tulip; Blushing Beauty, which is a salmon pink tulip; and Queen of Night, a tulip that is dark purple and almost black.

The tulip festival has been a popular draw at the Spring Grove farm — located at 909 English Prairie Road — since its spring 2021 debut. Twelve football fields worth of tulips are now planted in a northwesterly segment of the 500-acre farm, adjacent to a picnic area around Richardson Lake.

The festival will feature live music on weekends, plus food trucks serving up everything from poutine to quality Mexican fare, wood-fired pizza, burgers, sandwiches, pulled pork and ice cream. Beer, wine, soft drinks, hot drinks and smoothies also will be available.

Festival hours will be 11 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday, with the gift shop closing a half hour later, at 7 p.m. The fest is closed Mondays. Children 3 and younger are admitted to the fest for free. Cost for those 4 years old and older is $16.

On Saturdays and Sundays, the cost for admission is $16 for ages 4 to 12 years old and $19 for ages 13 years old and older.

Everyone who pays for admission gets one free tulip.

The Richardsons said they look forward once again to welcoming thousands of visitors to their colorful celebration of the season.

“What’s better than spring, and what’s better than tulips in the spring?” said Robert Richardson, who first explored the idea of having a tulip fest at the farm back in 2019. “They’re just a riot of colors. We’ve had folks come out to make marriage proposals, folks come out to take high school graduate photos ... it’s been a great addition to the offerings here at the farm.”