WOODBURN, Ore. — The colors of blooming flowers at the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival are an annual sign of spring in the Willamette Valley, but this year it’s not quite so colorful.
Right now, the fields are only at 30% peak bloom— the worst the farm has seen in nearly 40 years. The bloom is so late this year, the festival is being extended one more week and will now run through May 7.
The region's wet and cold spring so far is holding the tulips behind from reaching their peak bloom. A walk through the fields of flowers will show some color, but also empty fields.
“It definitely has pushed our tulips back, they have taken their sweet time," said Emily Iverson with the festival. "We should be at peak bloom right now."
Her family runs the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival and has been growing tulips for over 40 years. They said they have never seen a season this late before.
“The colors aren’t there and who wants to be out in this kind of weather. It’s cold, wet and windy—we just need some sunshine,” said Emily Iverson with the festival.
Photos: Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, April 2023
Despite a later bloom this year some people are still coming out to visit. The festival said it had its busiest day so far this season on Saturday. KGW spoke with some visitors on Monday.
“It’s kind of disappointing but coming from Mississippi it is beautiful to see. You still have a lot of color, so you still have a great experience,” said Courtney Nguyen, who was visiting Oregon.
"Just trying to keep your footing out here is a little difficult," said Selvin Norman, a photographer out taking shots of the flowers. "It's cold. Your hands are cold. The winds are blowing."