Tesselaar Tulip Festival

http://tulipfestival.com.au/

The Tulip Farm,
357 Monbulk Rd,
Silvan, Victoria

The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is an annual event on the Spring calendar for locals and tourists alike. It only runs for four to five weeks per year (depending on the tulips), but fortunately those weeks always seem to fall over school holidays.

If you haven’t been before, you might be wondering “Is it just a bunch of flowers? Is that it?” But actually there is a heap of other things to do and see.

Throughout the festival season there are themed weeks and weekends; this year the line up includes Childrens Weeks, Irish Weekend, Food, Wine & Jazz Weekend, Turkish Weekend, Dutch Weekend and Over the Rainbow Week. I have only ever attended during Childrens week so here’s a little info on that part of the festival.

Childrens weeks run for the two weeks of the School Holidays Monday-Thursday. When you visit think of the Tesselaar Tulip Festival as a similar outing to something like The Show, or a county fair. There is heaps to do and see for free, or your can spend a bit and get a few extra special things during your visit.

Free stuff (included in the admission cost)

The Tulips!
Kids can go to town running through the tulip fields, stopping for a look at the different colours and different smells. There aren’t any bugs or bees (surprisingly) and no big sticks or rocks about either. Sometimes the tulip fields can get a bit boggy and muddy. Even if it seems sunny outside if you child is happy to wear gumboots I would recommend them.

The Shows.

Each week of Childrens Weeks has different headline acts. This year week one was Peppa Pig and week two is Trolls. For us, it was a no brainer. Neither my daughter or I have seen Trolls, but she loves Peppa. There was a half hour show to see with songs and dances followed by a meet and greet.

The Petting Zoo.
Just your typical petting zoo but with a lovely view of the tulips to look over. Some smaller animals to hold and pat, a baby cow, a small pig, ducks, chickens, some animal feed and a few brushes.

The Fairy Garden.
Little fairies, mushrooms and rainbows to explore. It is very cute and pretty, and a bit inspirational if you are planning your own DIY fairy garden project at home.

The Cubbies.
We love these. Three cubbies locally made, that are basic yet enchanting! The kids seem to love them.

Reptile Zoo.
These guys will be doing daily presentations as well as having a little stall where you can see and pat the snakes and other native wildlife.

Wizard of Oz Treasure Hunt.
Search and explore the gardens for the icons from the movie. If you can find all seven of them, there is special prize waiting for you at the Clog Shop!

Extra (paid) stuff.

If you feel like you want to do and see a bit more here’s a few more activities happening at the festival.

Face painting.
This is hands down the best face painting I have seen at any children’s event. It costs $10 but it is pretty magical. Despite the cost we get it done every year (and I’m a mega tight ass). If you are going to get it done do this as soon as your arrive, as the queues can get pretty long later in the day.

Tractor rides.
For $5 per adult (kids are free) you can ride the tractor for about 8 minutes around the tulips. You don’t see anything new that you couldn’t see on foot, but the kids love a good tractor ride.

Arts and Crafts.
There are a few spots to visit to get your craft on. We’ve never done these activities but they start from about $5 and up. Painting, sand art etc

Other stuff you need to know.

Costs.
Adults are $28, kids are free. You can read the finer details here.

You can BYO lunch or there are plenty of option available. Coffee vans, dutch pancakes, baked potatoes, ice cream, fairy floss, nuggets etc. Some take card, but cash is preferred. There are ATMs on site.

There are lots of toilets available, and a parents room too.

If you can get there early (opens at 9am), then do. The festival can get quite crowded later on in the day.

I would recommend allowing two to three hours minimum, and potentially all day if you have kids that don’t nap. I like to arrive early and stay until nap time for that sweet sleepy time toddler snooze all the way home.

Pack your camera, or a well charged phone with lots of photo space. The Tesselaar Tulip Festival is a great place to take beautiful photos in a rainbow of colours. You’ll love it!! Top tip for getting a smiley tulip photo? Run towards your child, then try to get them to run and chase (and tickle!) you. They’ll giggle as they run towards you with gorgeous flowers in the background.