Nothing says Spring like colorful flowers in bloom. And nothing says colorful flowers in bloom like The American Village Festival of Tulips opening around the first of March (check american village.org to verify exact date (the tulips have to be in bloom). Stroll through thousands of colorful tulips, and pick the ones you want to keep—tulips are $2 each, plus tax, and include both flower and bulb. Charge up your phone, because the tulips offer the perfect backdrop for photos. Forty different varieties and blends of tulips were planted in early December 2021. Favorites such as Banja Luka(striped yellow/red), Gentle Giants (mixed pinks), Thanks and Praise (white and yellow mix) and Queen of Night (dark maroon) are back for the 2022 Festival. New varieties making their first appearance include Tom Pouce (fuchsia/yellow), Velvet Ondergrond (red/yellow/white Parrot tulip) and Parade Design (red with variegated foliage). There are early, mid-season, and late blooming varieties, so whenever you come there will be a great selection of flowers.
We asked Melanie Poole, American Village’s Communications Director, to tell us a bit more:
Alabaster Connection: When should we come to this tulip party and how much is it? Let’s get the details squared away.
Melanie Poole: The festival starts around March 1st. We can’t be exact because the tulips need to be at least 20% in bloom. But we are pretty good at predicting the date. The festival runs around 4 weeks. The Village is open Monday-Saturday 10-4, and Sunday 12-4, once the Festival of Tulips begins (weather permitting). Admission is $5 per person. If you are visiting on a weekday, you can also explore the American Village’s 188-acre campus and take a self-guided tour of the more than 20 historically inspired buildings. Additionally, there will be entertainment in the tulip field.
AC: How many folks attend during the Tulip festival?
MP: We had over 7,000 visitors last year.
AC: Do you find that people who live close by forget to visit?
MP: Sometimes we forget the wonderful attractions that are right in our backyard, and the Alabaster/Montevallo area of Shelby County is no exception.
AC: Do you get the: ‘I can’t believe it has taken me so long to visit this special place’ kind of reaction when someone does finally visit who lives close?
MP: We get the reaction of “Why did I not know this was here?” all the time. In addition, people say, “I thought you only did school field trips.” Not true! We are open to the public year ‘round.
AC: From how far away do you get visitors?
MP: We routinely get visitors from all over Alabama, southern Tennessee, western Georgia, and eastern Mississippi. Basically if you can get here and back home in a day, it’s worth the trip. And we encourage you to plan several stops in Shelby County if you’re making a day trip. Go to shelbyal.com to see all the great attractions.
AC: Who came up with this festival idea?
MP: The idea came from our founder and president, Tom Walker. He wanted an event that would complement the beautiful American Village campus and bring visitors who might not otherwise come. We like to say “Come for the tulips, and get a little history lesson while you’re here.”
AC: How do the tulips get there? Do you grow them?
MP: This year we planted over 80,000 tulips in 40 varieties. We plant new bulbs from Holland each year, as tulips are not perennial in the South. Our winters are just not cold enough. Plus, so many are picked each year we have to replenish the field!
AC: Which tulips get the most attention?
MP: We all have our favorites. Some people like the big tall solid-color varieties, others like tulips with stripes and ruffles. One of my favorites in the peony flowered tulip. It has so many petals it looks just like a peony. Whatever your taste in tulips, we have one for you. We have early, mid-, and late-blooming varieties to keep the show going as long as possible.
AC: What kind of weather do tulips need to flourish?
MP: Tulips need eight weeks of near freezing temperatures to bloom. We have our bulbs pre-chilled before we plant them each December. But the bulb has everything it needs to bloom already inside. We don’t have to water or fertilize the bulbs after planting.
AC: Have you all ever played the Tiny Tim song “Tiptoe through the Tulips” at the festival?
MP: Funny you should ask. The second year of the Festival, the anchors of CBS42 came out to do a story, and they all sang that song as they frolicked in the field for the camera.
AC: If someone hasn’t visited in the last few years, what new can they expect?
MP: If you haven’t visited the American Village recently, we have a brand-new building and experience that just opened in November. The West Wing of Independence Hall features a multi sensory story of the founding of America, including an original film Choosing to be an American People in the 104-seat theatre.
AC: If my son says he doesn’t like flowers, how would you recommend I entice him to come join the family?
MP: Tell your son he can join the Continental Army and see what a soldier’s tent looks like. He can see a musket being fired. And I guarantee he will love the film in the West Wing! When the muskets and cannon fire, your seat shakes.
AC: If we want to visit the buildings/grounds and the tulips, how much time should we set aside for this?
MP: If you come to the Festival of Tulips Monday-Friday, all of our public buildings will be open to explore. (They are not open on the weekend.) You should allow at least two hours to have the best experience.
AC: Are there other festivals or special activities coming this summer?
MP: If you can’t make it to the Festival of Tulips, the American Village is open to the public during regular business hours, Monday-Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. There are public programs almost every day. Our largest celebration of the year is of course Independence Day! That’s our biggest red, white, and blue family fun day. Over 40 activities from noon to twilight’s last gleaming, including the best up-close-and-personal fireworks display in Alabama! All for $5 per person.