The Tulip Festival is a 72-year-old tradition in the City of Albany, and this year’s event was originally scheduled for May 8-10, 2020. Although the COVID-19 pandemic forced the city to postpone the in-person components of the annual event, Discover Albany and the City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs have teamed up to launch Albany’s first ever Virtual Tulip Festival.
Celebrate Albany Tulip Fest Virtually
In a recent press release, the City of Albany revealed details about their Virtual Tulip Festival celebration on Saturday, May 9. This special event will offer a number of festival experiences for everyone stuck at home, including musical performances from local talents, tulip garden tours from the City of Albany Gardeners, and a magic show from Melvin the Magnificent. Local businesses will also celebrate the day with takeout specials.
The Virtual Tulip Festival video will premiere on the Youtube page Albany Events at 12:00pm on May 9. You can watch the video on their social media channels @AlbanyNYevents as well. The 2020 Albany Tulip Queen and Court will be presented at a later date with a separate celebration.
Track the Blooming Tulips
Discover Albany and the City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs are currently celebrating Tulip Festival on their social media channels by featuring photos of new blooming flowers across the city for “Tulip Tuesdays.” Users can follow their pages for the latest posts, or search for the hashtag #518TulipTracker to see updates and photos.
Since launching the hashtag, many Capital Region businesses have documented and posted photos of their tulips too. Residents are encouraged to join the trend by sharing their own tulip and garden photos with the hashtag #518TulipTracker.
Discover Albany and the Office of Cultural Affairs are also releasing special videos, blog posts, and other online content so everyone can celebrate at home.
Read a Q&A about Tulip Festival’s fascinating history and Dutch roots >>
Learn about distinctly Dutch buildings in the Capital Region >>
Take a Self-Guided Tulip & Garden Driving Tour
In collaboration with city gardeners, Discover Albany and the Office of Cultural Affairs have designed a self-guided tulip and garden driving tour as part of the Virtual Tulip Festival celebration. This driving tour will take you through Albany County and beyond and give people an opportunity to admire tulips, spring flowers, gardens, and other signs of spring.
To spice up your tour, play a round of Tulip Bingo with the event organizers for a chance to win a prize. The rules are simple:
- Screenshot a photo of the bingo card.
- Drive to a location on the bingo card.
- Snap a photo of the flowers or tulips at the location, and then mark off the spot.
- When you fill out a row, you have a bingo! Email your completed bingo card and photos of the flowers to info@albany.org. The first 10 people to submit a bingo card with photos will win a small prize.
Enjoy a tulip tracking adventure, share your photos along the way, and remember to follow social distancing guidelines.
Get full details on Tulip Bingo >>
Mark your calendar for the Virtual Tulip Festival video on May 9!
Source:
Discover Albany – Discover Albany, City of Albany Office of Cultural Affairs Launch “Virtual Tulip Festival”
