National Mall kicks off spring with 150,000 colorful tulips

March 16, 2026 | 10:44 AM

Hundreds of people gathered on the National Mall Sunday to usher in the start of spring with D.C.’s Tulip Day.

WATCH: Breaking news

Washington archbishop removes priest as exorcist after comments on UFOs and demons

A whopping 150,000 tulips, bulbs and all, were displayed on the mall Sunday afternoon.

Eventgoers were able to make a bundle of 10 tulips each to bring home. Tulip Day is partially funded by the European Union and the Dutch Embassy.

Kim Jenks had been looking forward to the event since tickets became available. She said for now, she’s picking the flowers for herself.

“But I may gift some, because I save the bulbs and replant them in October,” Jenks said.

Cymone Fabian visited with her 6-month-old baby boy JJ.

“I have a single family home. It’s our first home, so I’m really excited to put some really beautiful flowers out in the front,” Fabian said.

Get breaking news and daily headlines delivered to your email inbox by signing up here.

© 2026 WTOP. All Rights Reserved. This website is not intended for users located within the European Economic Area.

Civil rights groups make urgent plea for voting rights in DC, ahead of midterm elections

By The Associated Press
August 28, 2026 | 9:37 PM

WASHINGTON (AP) — Voting rights, the work of the Civil Rights Movement and racial justice took center stage on the National Mall Friday, with protesters gathering ahead of midterm elections and following a wave of changes to voting laws and redistricting that some have condemned as detrimental to Black Americans. Hundreds of people rallied on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial for the 2026 “Defend the Vote” March on Washington, organized by the Rev. Al Sharpton and Martin Luther King III, echoing the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s 1963 march. The event follows the U.S. Supreme Court’s landmark April decision in Louisiana v. Callais that reinterpreted key provisions of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, allowing Southern states to redraw their congressional maps in a way that erodes equal representation in Black communities. “We’ve been doing these marches for years, but this is probably the most important because this is the first year we are marching that the voting rights bill has been nullified by the Supreme Court,” Sharpton, founder of the National Action Network, said in an interview with The Associated Press. Civil rights leaders and major Democratic political figures rallied attendees before rallygoers marched past national monuments, including the late King's memorial.

Read Next Story