For the next two weeks, Holland Michigan will celebrate Tulip time on the West lakeshore of Michigan. It is estimated that between three and five hundred thousand visitors come to experience the Dutch heritage, see the tulip farms and buy Holland’s arts and crafts. This festival is in it’s ninety fifth consecutive years of operation.
First Proposed by Len Rogers, a school biology teacher in nineteen twenty seven to promote the cities history using tulips as a symbol and plantings in the downtown area. The first year, the city planted one hundred thousand bulbs imported from the Netherlands. It has grown over the years to include, a carnival, a tour of tall ships, tours of gardens and an artisan area. Many of the events are free or a nominal fee. The citizens dress in the 16th century costumes. The Dutch used their expertise to cultivate tulips, daffodils and crocuses. The number and variety of tulips alone number 85. From the early midgets to the giant black swan flowers, the tulips can produce a showy display for the whole spring season.
Holland is 40 miles away by car. I have visited the festival on several occasions.
We visited the wooden shoe factory to purchased a pair of birch clogs. The foot ware is traditionally. used in wet soggy fields.
The tulip farms demonstrate sorting and grading the bulbs for sale. Care is taken to not cut or harm the individual bulbs.
In a four mile area of downtown Holland, all the festival activities take place. Dutch foods and crafts such as embroidery and quilting are shown. Dutch dancers entertain and give dance lessons in a traditional form of clogging. Clogging is performed with wooden shoes to make a percussion sound to add to the music. made by the accordion and the barrel organ.
In the evening the festival has a musical show and entertainers at the Holland Civic Center in Downtown Holland.
This year the Tulip time started on on Saturday and runs through the second weekend of May. Whether you love to see flowers, enjoy Dutch cooking or tour Dutch Island park to see a historical windmill and gardens, Holland Michigan has something for every one.
**** Poem
Windmill An acrostic Poem
Western lakeshore hosts tulip time.
Individuals can enjoy Dutch heritage.
Nautical activities are found near the city’s docks.
Downtown bustles with costumed Hollanders.
Many demonstrations of Dutch crafts can be purchased.
Initiated in 1929.
Lead by a high school biology teacher.
Len Rogers, idea promoted Holland’s identity.
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copyrighted 5/5/25
traveling up and down the blind highway 