While Albany's annual Tulip Festival was cancelled on March 23rd due to the coronavirus pandemic, the city is kicking off the first ever Virtual Tulip Festival starting at noon on Saturday.
The virtual event will feature musical performances, Tulip garden tours, and prizes while local businesses are offering take out specials. You can watch the event here.
In a statement Mayor Kathy Sheehan said, "While I join so many of you that are looking forward to getting back to celebrating the annual Tulip Fest the way we are accustom to, I am excited to participate in the first ever Virtual Tulip Fest." Sheehan went on to thank the Office of Cultural Affairs for reinventing events in Albany in light of the COVID-19 outbreak.
The 2020 Albany Tulip Queen and Court presentation along with a celebration will be held at a later date.
Local artists including Sawyer Fredericks, The Age, Hartley's Encore, Caity Gallagher and more will be performing throughout the day. City of Albany Gardeners will be taking viewers on tours of the Tulip beds, sharing their expert knowledge with the public.
Along with visiting the link above, you can visit Albany Events' social media pages.