ALBANY — Discover Albany, the City of Albany’s Office of Cultural Affairs, Citizens, and the City of Albany Department of General Services, have collaborated to bring #518TulipTracker back to Albany County for 2022. Albany’s annual Tulip Festival is returning in-person to Washington Park on May 7 and 8, but #518TulipTracker will celebrate tulip season throughout the months of April and May.
Using the hashtag #518TulipTracker, new blooming flowers will be featured across the city for “Tulip Tuesdays” over the next few weeks. Viewers can enjoy the self-guided Tulip & Garden driving tour available on Discover Albany’s website. The tour includes flowers at nearly 40 historic and heritage sites, attractions, and parks. Viewers are encouraged to share their own photos on social media using the hashtag as well.
Discover Albany is hosting a giveaway to encourage visitors and residents to embark on the self-guided Tulip & Garden driving tour. Participants are invited to visit five spots featured in the driving tour and take a photo of the tulips at each spot. Email the five tulip photos and the corresponding locations to [email protected] by Thursday, May 12 to be entered into a random drawing to win an Albany-themed prize!
“We are happy that #518TulipTracker has become an Albany spring tradition,” said Jill Delaney, President and CEO of Discover Albany. “We are absolutely thrilled for Tulip Festival to return in-person this year but are excited to continue to engage those both near and far virtually with #518TulipTracker.”
Tulip Festival is a 72-year-old Albany tradition held every spring at Washington Park. Its origins date back to July 1, 1948 when Mayor Erastus Corning II passed a city ordinance declaring the tulip as Albany’s official flower. In the spring of 1948, Albany officials asked Queen Wilhelmina of Holland to designate a variety of tulip to be Albany’s official flower. She chose the ‘Orange Wonder,’ a Mendel strain of tulip, now also known as the “The Tulip of Albany.” Shortly after, the Albany Common Council enacted an ordinance establishing a tulip celebration in the City and the first Tulip Festival was held in May 1949.
For more information about Discover Albany and to view Virtual Tulip Fest content, please visit albany.org.
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