At least 35,000 people gathered at Union Square for free tulips on Saturday. The annual Tulip Day event started at 1 p.m. and ended at 4:30 p.m. The event featured 80,000 tulips and was presented by Royal Anthos, the San Francisco Office of Economic and Workforce Development, the Union Square Alliance, and other organizations.
Golden Gate Xpress polled 127 visitors as they exited; wait times ranged from two hours to four and a half, but the average wait time was about three.
In a press release, Mayor London Breed said, “I am pleased to support this year’s Tulip Day and Union Square in Bloom festivities that will bring more people into our downtown and boost foot traffic for our local businesses. Events like this build on the excitement and momentum we are seeing due to the important work the City and our partners have done to strengthen public safety and ensure businesses, workers, and visitors feel safe and welcome in San Francisco.”
A group poses with their tulips in front of the Dewey Monument at Union Square during Tulip Day on March 9, 2024. The annual event first started in 2018. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
People select yellow and white tulips. Red, orange and magenta tulips were also available. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
Tens of thousands of people wait in line for hours to pick tulips as police officers, deputy sheriffs, orange-jacketed volunteers, security guards, and Union Square Alliance employees keep people moving. (Neal Wong/Golden Gate Xpress)
People walk through the tulip-picking area as periodic announcements state that each visitor is allowed up to eight tulips. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
A person selects tulips. The tulips were grown in water and the roots remained attached. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
A visitor takes a selfie. Groups of visitors are allowed into the tulip-picking area every five minutes to pick up to eight tulips each. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
People walk through the tulip-picking area. The Tulip Day event marked the beginning of this year’s Union Square in Bloom, an annual initiative to adorn the surrounding area with flowers. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
Hot dog stands await tulip pickers who had been waiting for hours as they left Union Square. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
Tens of thousands of people wait in line to pick tulips. The line to pick tulips wrapped around Union Square and continued at least a block north along Stockton Street. Past 3:15 p.m., visitors were told that they were not guaranteed to leave with tulips. (Neal Wong / Golden Gate Xpress)
