Suburban Skyview: Midwest Tulip Fest at Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park draws thousands of flower enthusiasts

The first Midwest Tulip Fest is a blooming success at Kuipers Family Farm in Maple Park, with thousands of flower enthusiasts getting a visual overload of colors.

The festival opened on Mother's Day. It was the brainchild of Wade and Kim Kuipers, who researched it for years studying tulip fests in Michigan and Seattle.

“We did the legwork to make sure it was something we could do, then we thought about it and figured out how to make it work at our farm,” Kim Kuipers said.

Honoring Wade's Dutch heritage, the Kuiperses planted 32 tulip varieties back in November, and now there's a sea of oranges, reds and yellows at the farm.

The sunny and warm weather helped dry up the fields and move the tulips along to maturity, although some varieties still are waiting for that right moment to reveal their beauty.

Visitors can cut bunches of three, six or nine tulips and put them in a vase that's included with the price of admission. The farm also has animals, and in the fall it's known as a great place to get apples.

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