UPDATE: Due a recent change beyond their control, Holland Ridge Farms is not allowed to have people driving through the trail as planned. If you already ordered tickets, they are issuing refunds. But instead of the popular tulip trail, they are now only open for curbside tulip pickup. Starting tomorrow you can pick up the stems. You can pre-order them before you go at $4.99 plus tax for a 10 stem bunch at hollandridgefarms.com/tulip-pickup. If you want to help support the farm so they can hopefully return to their normal business next spring, you can order tulips and have them shipped anywhere in NJ, NY, PA, CT, MD, DE, MA, RI, NH and VT. They are $9.99 plus tax and delivery and available at hollandridgefarms.com/tulip-delivery.
A visit to Cream Ridge’s Holland Ridge Farms for its annual tulip trail is always a big spring highlight. It’s like taking a trip to Holland, without leaving NJ. If you haven’t been, just picture a bright rainbow of colors as far as the eye can see. Because of concerns surrounding the spread of COVID-19, the trail has gone drive-thru this year.
Holland Ridge is encouraging taking photos of the flowers, but you aren’t allowed to leave your car. If you put the kids and their creative skills to good use, we bet you’ll get some gorgeous photos. We spoke to a staff member who said the farm will be strictly enforcing the rules to stay in your vehicles at all times for everyone’s safety. We’re sure that seeing these colorful blooms, responsibly from your car, will lift everyone’s spirits a bit, and will help this farm stay in business so we can all go tiptoe through the tulips next spring when this pandemic is behind us.
Some have questioned if this is an essential business. The answer is that farms fall under the agricultural banner and creative manager Patrick Marini told us: “Since the focus has been on food most people assume you can only leave your house for food. We are an essential business you are permitted to leave your house for. We are selling tulips and offering the drive through trail as an added bonus.” If you live in the general area, this could be a way to help a local business.
The farm has taken extra steps to ensure safety for everyone involved. Cars are being limited and the farm is releasing limited tickets to keep any chance of contact very low. Starting Wednesday, April 8, you can hop in your car and see these beautiful flowers in full bloom. You can only buy tickets in advance online (tickets will NOT be sold at the farm), and they are only releasing them three days in advance. For example, tonight, Tuesday at 6 pm, the farm will be releasing tickets for Friday. Tickets are $24.99 per carload (no buses) and come with a bouquet of tulips to take home. If you’ve purchased a ticket for the drive-thru you’ll also be allowed to purchase additional bunches of 10 stems for $4.99 each to bring some cheery spring fun into your home.
For your protection, you won’t be able to hand-select your tulips (it will be what they’ve picked that day). Staffers will be wearing gloves, and will let you take their bunch out of a bucket, or place them in the trunk of your car for a zero contact experience.
The Holland Ridge Farms tulip trail is set to be open for 2-3 weeks, depending on the weather and how long the vibrant flowers stay in bloom.