Richardson Farm plans first Tulip Festival
SPRING GROVE - Over the decades, Richardson Adventure Farm has become well-known for "choose and cut" Christmas trees and its intricate corn maze. This spring, Richardson Farm will host its first Tulip Festival, with five acres planted with 300,000 tulips, including 30 different varieties.
Anticipated dates for the festival are mid-April through mid-May, the business said.
On the cusp of Chicago's Northwest suburbs, the farm has been in the Richardson family since 1840. Turning parts of the family farm into an "agritourism" attraction in 1986 has made it possible to keep the farm in the family.
Last year, Robert and Carol Richardson visited Washington State to do some sightseeing and research. They ended up ordering 300,00 bulbs from the Netherlands, which arrived by semi last fall. The Richardsons also contacted their corn maze designer in Idaho, who suggested they rent a commercial Dutch bulb planter in northern California and trailer it to Illinois, so the bulbs could be planted in mid-November.
"It will be the biggest tulip festival west of Lake Michigan," Robert's brother George Richardson said.
The Fest will be open daily from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. Admission is $15 on weekends, $12 on weekdays and free for children under 4. COVID precautions will be in place.
Richardson Farm is at 909 English Prairie Road in McHenry County.