Guide to Visiting the Largest Tulip Festival on the East Coast
Where is the largest tulip field on the East Coast?
Did you know that NJ is home to the largest tulip field on the East Coast? There’s no need to hop on a flight to The Netherlands because Holland Ridge Farms in Cream Ridge, New Jersey offers the Holland tulip festival experience right here in the U.S.!
This Jersey farm boasts millions of colorful, unique tulip blooms that are available for exploring and picking every spring season. I’m sharing everything you need to know to help you plan your visit so you can enjoy these picturesque tulip fields!
About Holland Ridge Farms
Holland Ridge Farms is the largest u-pick flower field in New Jersey. The 150+ acre farm is owned and maintained by the Jansen family. In 1964, Casey Jansen Sr immigrated from Holland and brought his Dutch-style tulip techniques along with him to the United States. With over 100 years of generational knowledge, the Jansen family was able to create the beautiful tulip experience we see today at Holland Ridge Farms!
How to get to Holland Ridge Farms
Holland Ridge Farms is located at 86 Rues Road in Cream Ridge, New Jersey, just 1 hour from New York City! From the Turnpike, take I-195 S to exit 7A.
The best time to visit Holland Ridge Farms for tulips
Every spring season between April and May, millions of tulips begin to bloom at the farm into spectacular waves of color. Unfortunately, the tulips only last for about 1-2 weeks. Due to flower’s short lifecycle (and unpredictable spring weather), you need to plan carefully in order to catch them at the right time!
The best time to visit Holland Ridge Farms for the best tulip festival experience is the first week of opening, this guarantees that the flower fields will be full. If you arrive too late in the season, there will be many bare spots and the tulips will not be as fresh. The best days to visit are during the week days before 12pm. If you have to visit on a weekend, be sure to visit as early as possible in order to avoid the crowds.
Things to do at Holland Ridge Farms
Holland Ridge Farms offers beautiful tulip fields and festival experiences for everyone! Just pay an admission fee for entry (under $13 per person) and you can enjoy everything that the farm has to offer!
Pick your own (aka U-Pick) tulips ($1 per stem)
Take photos - The tulip fields are beautiful and offer a great backdrop for photos! Fun props such as bikes and clogs are also placed throughout the fields as well to use for fun, Instagram-worthy photos!
Free tractor hayrides
Pony rides (weekends only)
Free petting zoo (weekends only)
Food trucks - A variety of food truck vendors are selected each season. You can check the farm’s social channels for updates on what vendors will be there on
Bakery Barn - They offer tons of snacks, sweet treats, drinks, and more
and more!
Tips for planning your visit to Holland Ridge Farms’ Tulip Festival
Watch for farm updates
Holland Ridge Farms has a great social media team! They make sure to keep their followers updated on all platforms so that you can easily keep track of opening and closing dates, as well as new ticket sales and more! Follow them to stay current on all of the latest news: Instagram / Facebook / Twitter.
Keep an eye on the weather
During the spring season, the weather can be incredibly random. Storms are very common and unfortunately, it can rain during your visit to the tulip festival. In order to avoid a rainout, be sure to check the weather and book your tickets 1-2 days in advance (be careful though because tickets can sell out quickly). Although this doesn’t always guarantee that you won’t get poured on, it can definitely help to avoid a rain check. If it does end up raining a bit during your visit, bring a cute umbrella and some rain boots for a fun photoshoot!
Know what to bring
The farm offers free buckets for guests who wish to pick their own tulips. However, these buckets do not have handles so if you’d prefer to have a bucket that’s easier to carry, I recommend that you bring your own, or a fun basket if you’re looking for an aesthetic prop. What you can bring: wagons, strollers, and a photographer or tripod. What you can’t bring: your own food (they have a bakery and food trucks on-site), bikes, drones, and pets (service animals only).
The farm closes once tulip season ends in May, but you can still enjoy Holland Ridge Farms when they open again in the fall season for their sunflower field festival!
