The 70th Annual Albany Tulip Festival

Mother's Day Weekend
May 12 and 13, 2018
Washington Park, Albany   

FREE & open to the public

Submerge yourself in a sea of more than 150,000 tulips at Albany's historic Washington Park this Mother's Day weekend for Albany's Annual Tulip Festival. Since Mayor Erastus Corning II read the first Tulip Festival Proclamation on May 14, 1949, the Mother’s Day weekend celebration has grown into one of the Northeast’s biggest and most beloved yearly events.

Historic events celebrating Albany's rich, Dutch heritage combined with multiple stages of acclaimed live music, craft vendors, a fine arts show, children's activities, and great food to make Tulip Festival a free, one-of-a-kind event for the whole family. 

Please click here for a full schedule of weekend events, including performances by Park Playhouse and concerts. 

Transportation & Parking

The Capital Region is ready to welcome you and the thousand of visitors that flock to Washington Park on Mother's Day weekend for the Annual Tulip Festival. Please click here to view transportation and parking details. 

Additionally, CDTA will provide complimentary shuttle service to Washington Park from 11:00 a.m.to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, May 12 and Sunday, May 13 from three designated locations. Those locations are:

• Elk Street parking lot, located behind the State Education Building. The pick-up location will be Elk and Hawk at the stop sign.
• Eagle Street parking lot, located at the corner of Eagle Street and Madison Avenue. Parking lot entrance is on Eagle Street.
• Albany Medical Center parking lot, located off Robin Street, for customer needing extra assistance or in a wheelchair. That shuttle will drop passengers off at the Madison Avenue/New Scotland entrance to the park.

Shuttles will run every 20-25 minutes depending on traffic. All parking lots are free to use the weekend of Tulip Festival.

Discover Albany Social Media Giveaway

Tulip Festival goers you have a few opportunities this weekend to win some cool Albany swag! The Discover Albany Team will be sharing an information booth near the 518 stage with the City of Albany from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM on both Saturday and Sunday. Plan to scope out our booth, post your Tulip Fest fun on social media and win a prize! Details on the giveaways are below.

Instagram Giveaway (10 winners on Saturday, May 12 and 10 winners on Sunday, May 13)

Planning to post a selfie with blooming tulips or a photo of delicious eats from a food vendor? Post your Tulip Fest fun on Instagram with the hashtag #DiscoverAlbany and come show us the post in-person at our booth! The first 10 people on Saturday and the first 10 people on Sunday who show us their Instagram posts with the hashtag #DiscoverAlbany will win a free Discover Albany tote bag! You can find us at an information booth near the 518 stage with the City of Albany from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Grand Prize Giveaway (One winner on Saturday, May 12 and one winner on Sunday, May 13)

Win a Discover Albany tote bag filled with delicious chocolate, one Discover Albany mug and some surprise Albany-themed swag! To win: be the first person to show the Discover Albany team at our booth your Tulip Festival Instagram post with the hashtag #DiscoverAlbany, show us your Snapchat Story utilizing the Discover Albany filter, and follow @DiscoverAlbany on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. You can find us at an information booth near the 518 stage with the City of Albany from 11:00 AM to 3:00 PM.

Social Media Giveaway Terms & Conditions may be found here.

Explore Albany's Dutch Roots: 

Discover New York's Dutch Heritage Beyond Albany County: Interested in learning more about the influence of the Dutch in the Hudson River Valley? This year the Hudson River Valley National Heritage Area with the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation have launched the Discovering Dutch Event series for visitors to explore all of the Dutch culture offerings in the Hudson River Valley corridor. Click here for a schedule of events.