HOLLAND, MI -- The city of Holland will “welkom” in thousands of visitors this weekend as the 95th Tulip Time Festival kicks off Saturday, May 4.
There are tulip festivals across the country and the world, but no one does it quite like Holland -- you can check their trophy case.
The festival has won top honors as people’s choice and by the experts at the International Garden Tourism Conference and World Tulip Summit.
The festival is more than just flowers, though. For two weeks straight the city transforms into a mecca for food, art, dance and Dutch culture.
RELATED: Heading to Tulip Time this weekend? Here’s one way to get around I-196 construction
Here’s your guide for all the must-see activities happening during Holland’s Tulip Time Festival.
Tulips
First up, the main event. There are approximately six million tulips blooming throughout the city of Holland during the festival.
Free places to view the tulips include Window on the Waterfront city park, 85 E. Sixth St., cruising down the tulip lanes in the historic district of Holland or Centennial Park, 250 Central Ave.
For a fee, see rows of tulips and an authentic Dutch windmill at Windmill Island Gardens, 1 Lincoln Ave.
RELATED: Anxious for spring? Livestream tulips blooming in Holland
You can also grab a ticket for the immersion gardens at Beechwood Church. Tulips are on raised beds to bring them up to eye-level, making them a selfie shoo-in.
Dutch Dancers
What sets Holland’s tulip festival apart from the rest is its commitment to Dutch heritage. Nothing showcases Holland’s historical pride better than Dutch Dancers.
About 800 dancers have been practicing a Dutch folk dance since January, ready to perform throughout the festival. Each dancer is in a handsewn costume representing a specific region in the Netherlands.
Dutch Dancers take their historical accuracy seriously, which means no zippers or Velcro, but keep the tradition light and fun as they clomp along. They’ve even added Dutch dancing lessons so visitors can join in.
RELATED: Holland’s Dutch Dancing ditches fast fashion for 19th century heritage
Kinder (children) dances and all-ages Dutch dances begin Thursday, May 2, and continue daily through the end of Tulip Time. Dutch Dancers will be at Centennial Park and Kollen Park. You can check times and locations at tuliptime.com/events.
Pickleball
Tulip Time is adding paddles to its petals this season as it welcomes its first pickleball tournament.
The Tulip City Open tournament, running May 3-5, has more than 250 players of all skill levels registered to play.
RELATED: Pickleball fever hits Tulip Time
The three-day tournament will take place at the indoor facilities of MVP Sports Holland at 650 S Waverly Rd.
Across eight courts the tournament will includes singles, same gender doubles and mixed doubles matches.
The tournament is not featuring a cash prize, rather registration fees will go toward Holland’s emergency shelter nonprofit Gateway Mission and the Tulip Time Festival, putting the event at the “cornerstone of competitive spirit and philanthropy.”
Food trucks
If watching Dutch Dancers windmill and clomp in wooden shoes makes you hungry then you’re in luck. There’s a wide range of food trucks during Tulip Time. A large concentration of food trucks always park in front of the Holland Civic Center, 150 W. Eighth St., but there will also be food trucks throughout the festival, including at Window on the Waterfront and the Ottawa County Fairgrounds during the artisan market.
Carnival
Nothing goes better with an elephant ear or fried Oreo than a trip around the Ferris wheel.
The carnival returns to Tulip Time on Friday, May 3, and runs through Sunday, May 12.
Hours on the midway, run by Skerbeck Entertainment, vary by day with weekdays closing at 10 p.m. and weekends closing at 11 p.m.
Visit skerbeck.com for the daily schedule and wristband/ticket information.
RELATED: This Michigan family has been running a carnival for 165 years
Parades
The Tulip Time Festival includes two parades, the Volksparade (people’s parade) and the Kinderparade (children’s parade).
Holland’s hospitality and Dutch roots are on full display as the Kinderparade begins with a ceremonial white glove inspection deeming the streets dirty and in need of scrubbing.
The townspeople march in with buckets and brooms and sweep the streets clean to invite in their springtime guests -- a tradition that started in the Netherlands before large festivals.
The Kinderparade will begin at 2 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at Eighth Street & Columbia Avenue and continues on Eighth Street to Kollen Park. The parade ends with Dutch dogs strolling by in Dutch costumes, coming to a close around 4 p.m.
Before the Kinderparade, Dutch Dancers will take to the streets at noon.
The Volksparade is set for 2 p.m. Saturday, May 11. The route starts at Eighth Street from Columbia Avenue and carries on to Holland High School at Van Raalte Avenue and W. 24th Street.
In addition to more Dutch dancing, dozens of bands from West Michigan middle and high schools showcase their talents and community floats show off what Tulip Time means to them.
Tickets for grandstand seating for both parades are still available. Grand stands line W. Eighth Street adjacent to the Civic Center.
RELATED: Holland sweeps out winter, invites in springtime guests during Tulip Time parades
Live Music
From an ABBA tribute concert to a Dutch organist there is a wide variety of live music you can catch during Tulip Time.
The headliner for the festival is American Idol winner Scotty McCreery. You can hear his soulful country tunes at 7 p.m. Friday, May 10 at Central Wesleyan Auditorium. Tickets are $78 and can be purchased through the Tulip Time website.
Related: American Idol winner to headline 2024 Tulip Time Festival
The full list of musical performances for the 2024 Tulip Time Festival is as follows:
- Dancing Queen: An ABBA Salute – 7 p.m. Saturday, May 4, at the Holland Civic Center. Tickets: $45
- Dutch organ concert – 7 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Hope Church. Tickets: $16
- Fiddlefire – 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 7, at Central Wesleyan Church. Tickets: $32
- Holland American Legion Band concert – 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 8, at Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts. Tickets: $20
- The Texas Tenors – 7 p.m. Thursday, May 9, at Central Wesleyan Church. Tickets: $38
- Scotty McCreery – 7 p.m. Friday, May 10, at Central Wesleyan Church. Tickets: $78
Artisan market
Check out handmade arts and crafts just in time for Mother’s Day at the Tulip Time artisan market.
The ever-expanding market has grown to 300 vendors this year, so there’s plenty of variety. In addition to hard-to-find items at the market, there’s also food trucks and Dutch Dance performances.
The artisan market will take place 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. May 4-5 at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds.
Quilt show
Head on over to Beechwood Church during Tulip Time to view over 100 exquisite quilts from local artists.
The quilt show is open 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday, May 4, through Sunday, May 12. Admission is $8 per person.
Don’t forget a raffle ticket to win a one-of-a-kind quilt, made specifically to commemorate this year’s festival.
