How to Score Free Tulips in San Francisco
1. What is Tulip Day?
San Francisco’s Tulip Day is inspired by the Netherlands’ National Tulip Day, which has been celebrated annually in Amsterdam since 2012 to mark the start of the tulip season. Additionally, visitors can pick up free tulips at the public garden. San Francisco’s Tulip Day started in 2018 to bring a bit of Dutch tradition to the US. Fun Fact: Tulips are the most-sold flower in the U.S. Similarly, San Francisco will also be giving out free tulips!
Couple with their bouquet of tulips in Union Square
According to the Union Square Alliance, Tulip Day will occur this Saturday, 3/22 from 1-4pm, at the corner of Post & Stockton in front of the Apple Store. Visitors have up to 5 minutes to pick up to 8 tulips! There will be approximately 80,000 tulips available (so divide that number by 8, and it should be enough for 10,000 people to make their own bouquet). I tried getting free tulips a few years ago, but I didn’t come early enough and I didn’t wear the appropriate clothes either. It ended up raining that day, so I was shivering in a line that wrapped around the square, which was a total fail. Anyway, here are some friendly tips so you don’t make the same mistake!
2. How do I score my free tulips?
First, plan to arrive way in advance. Although they won’t let the public in until 1pm, lines start forming a few hours prior. One visitor commented on Union Square’s Instagram post that they arrived at 12:30 pm and didn’t get any tulips, whereas in another year, they arrived around 10:30am and managed to score a bouquet! A few other visitors commented on DoTheBay’s TikTok that it’s a 3-hour wait, meaning people waited in line by 10am to get their tulips. All in all, plan accordingly and take public transit (i.e. Muni, BART)!
That last time I tried coming to this, it was raining, but most people came prepared with raincoats and an umbrella! Check the weather the day beforehand (right now on 3/19, there’s supposedly a 8% chance of precipitation) and bring rain gear and/or a hat if need be. Oh, and don’t forget your snacks! Community events like this can quickly become chaotic, so listen to the staff’s instructions, don’t cut the lines, and take only as many as you’re allowed. Let’s keep it demure, folks.
I’ll be there this year at 10 am for the media reception, so if you see me, feel free to say hi!
3. I missed Tulip Day; did I miss out on seeing the tulips?
Tulips at the Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park
In a sense, no. You might not be able to get a free bouquet, but you can still go and see tulips in SF. Two weekends ago, I had a cute little picnic at the Queen Wilhelmina Garden at the Dutch Windmill in Golden Gate Park (GGP), and there were plenty of tulips to take pictures with (plus more tulips ready to bloom). Just head to the westernmost edge of GGP to find the tulips! Please don’t pick them.
I made myself a little picnic from snacks from the Epicurean Trader, but I’ve also done a picnic with snowy plovers from Andytown Coffee Roasters plus breakfast biscuits from Devil’s Teeth Bakery (both nearby). I even saw people sitting on the bench doing watercolor painting! So you can still have a nice experience even if you missed Tulip Day. And if all else fails, you can always buy tulips at Trader Joe’s, the San Francisco Flower Market, or any other grocery store/ flower shop. They might be sold out on the day of, so buy them before or after Tulip Day!
4. What other spring events can I find in San Francisco?
San Francisco’s Tulip Day is the start of Union Square in Bloom, a yearly initiative from March to August, featuring fun public programs that celebrate the city’s floral legacy. This will involve floral installations, a Mother’s Day Fashion Show, and a Blooms and Bubbles Bar Crawl! Check the Union Square Alliance’s website for the full list of events.
Need more spring activities to do this year? Check out my other blog post for more fun spring things to do in the city.
