Back with more tulips than ever before, the Dandenong Ranges will once again transform into a burst of colour for the 64th annual Tesselaar Tulip Festival this September.
From Thursday 14 September to Tuesday 10 October, visitors are set to be amazed by the beauty of almost a million tulips across 25 acres of spectacular Silvan farmland.
But while over 130 varieties of tulips are bound to be the stars of the show, there’s something for everyone at the floral festival which caters for children, grandparents and everyone in-between.
Among the events for this year’s Tulip Festival is a celebration of cultures with Turkish, Dutch and Irish Weekends featuring throughout the festival’s 27 days.
While Turkish weekend will celebrate the origin of the tulip, Dutch weekend honors Tesselaar Tulip founders Cees and Johanna Tesselaar’s emigration from the Netherlands on their wedding day – and the tulips they brought with them.
Finally, Irish weekend delights in the ‘greening of the tulip’, and like the Turkish and Dutch weekends before it, the event will feature traditional art, music, dance and gourmet food and is bound to be a colourful and exciting time for all involved.
Over the Rainbow Week will also feature from 18 to 21 September and will treat audiences to live performances of the Wizard of Oz twice daily. Wizard of Oz holds a special place within the Tesselaars’ hearts, as it was released the same year as the couple landed in Oz (Australia that is). And while the Tesselaars’ know that it was a field of poppies in the movie, they like to think tulips are prettier anyway.
Children’s Weeks will also take place throughout the festival, with a huge variety of activities to keep the kids entertained. And for the big kids, there’s the Food, Wine and Jazz Weekend that invites guests to ‘meet, greet and be merry among the Tulips’.
Based at The Tulip Farm at 357 Monbulk Road, Silvan, the Tulip Festival will take place from 14 September to 10 October and is open from 9am to 5pm daily. To find out more visit www.tulipfestival.com.au
