Visiting a Virginia tulip farm for the Burnside Farms tulip festival

Every spring, Burnside Farms in Haymarket, Virginia, brings a little bit of Holland to Virginia with their spring tulip festival. While a tulip farm might not be the first thing you envision in Northern Virginia, Burnside Farms knows how to do a tulip festival right. (And yes, this is the same Burnside Farms that brings our state a lovely sunflower field every year, too!)

Now, to be very honest, I’m terrified of bees – or, more to the point, anything that buzzes. It’s not just a passing dislike. It’s a run-in-the-other-direction-and-flail, truly hardcore aversion.

Boyfriend Perspective: On the upside, I get to play the hero a lot….

So, it might not quite follow that some of the places we most want to visit – Holland, Aix-en-Provence, etc. – are most famous for their copious, amazing flower fields. But here we were, driving north to Haymarket, Virginia, to check out Burnside Farms, Virginia’s very own tulip farm.

So what is Burnside Farms all about?

Burnside is a large, family-owned farm that’s three generations into the flower industry. Like many family businesses, they have the freedom to follow their own practices and consciences, which means they proudly tout themselves as chemical-free farmers. To quote their bio on TripAdvisor: “We are chemical free – our farming practices follow all of the guidelines for organic, sustainable production but we are not certified to use the word ‘organic; for our products.”

Each season, they open to the public for markets and to allow the community to enjoy, photograph, and pick various types of flowers. In the spring, find daffodils and tulips for the picking. And in summer, it’s sunflowers as far as the eye can see. Admission for these events is fairly inexpensive (starting at $8/person), and gives attendees full access to the flower fields, as well as various props for photos and tools for picking, trimming, and arranging blooms from the fields.

In the fall and winter, Burnside offers markets for fresh seasonal goods like pumpkins, gourds, fresh-cut Christmas trees, and more.

The Virginia tulip festival experience

Well, thankfully, I kept my bee-induced flailing to a minimum. The thing is, because these are flowers, they’re obviously highly dependent on weather conditions. Too much rain could flood the fields or bludgeon the blooms off the plants. A late frost could kill plants that aren’t quite hardy enough. Too little rain could delay or decrease the peak bloom. The first time we explored the tulip fields, it was not long after an unexpected thunderstorm had battered the fields and, sadly, had shortened the peak bloom time by beating petals off of the fairly delicate plants. The good news is that, despite the weather, the fields were still stunning, and we enjoyed every minute walking along the rows of colorful blooms.

Burnside provides baskets and snips for anyone hoping to look with their hands as much as their eyes, so we picked up one of each after we checked in, and headed out to start exploring. We took our time, picking our way through the fields along with dozens of families and other couples. Endless photo opportunities jump out at every turn, providing chances for stunning macro shots, sweet portraits, or beautiful wide angle views. This meant that we ended up taking FOREVER to finish our trip here! (Somewhat to Luke’s chagrin…)

Boyfriend Perspective: Yaaaaay, flowers….

Once our cameras had both gotten enough exercise, we got down to choosing a few stems to bring home with us. There’s something wonderfully “farm girl”-esque about bending low next to a row of plants to harvest what looks good – or maybe that’s just my historical fiction-loving imagination getting the best of me.

Boyfriend Perspective: Okay, Jane Austen, I’m ~so shocked~ you’d feel that way. Keep in movin’….

Heh. Anyway. Once we’d nabbed what we thought were the prettiest tulips, we headed up to the tent, where staff members teach you how to best trim the stems for long life, and help you either arrange them in a jar/vase or wrap them up in paper for the trip home. Finally, it’s time to check out with your colorful purchases, and then head out.

Other things to do near Burnside Farms in Haymarket, VA

See a concert at Jiffy Lube Live
Visit the Winery at Bull Run
Hike and explore Manassas National Battlefield Park
Enjoy places like Heritage Brewing Co, Sinistral Brewing Company, 2 Silos Brewing Co, and BadWolf Brewing Company (NERD ALERT: you can spot Tardises on their website!) in Manassas

Practical information for visiting Burnside Farms’ tulip festival

Address: 4905 James Madison Hwy. Haymarket, VA 20169
Website: https://www.burnsidefarms.com/
Tickets: starting at $8/person, depending on event and day of week, can be purchased here
Things to keep in mind:
- For each flower event, Burnside provides consistent updates on social media and on their website, so you should never be caught without an idea of what to expect when you arrive.
- As with all pick-your-own venues, don’t pick what you don’t plan to purchase. That’s hard work and potential profit you’re leaving on the ground.
- You can purchase tulips from the bulb up (so you can plant them at home), or just tulip stems (so you’ll have a pretty flower arrangement). Note that the price is different for each option.
- They have vases and jars onsite for purchase, as well as knowledgeable staff who will help you trim and arrange properly, so don’t worry about how to keep your blooms healthy on the way home.