Experience the Tulip Time Festival in Holland Michigan

Tulip Time Festival Holland Michigan

With the beginning of May in Holland Michigan, it means Tulip Time Festival is just around the corner. Tulip Time has been celebrated in Holland for almost 100 years (it started in 1929). Here you will find a community celebrating their Dutch traditions, wearing authentic Dutch clothes, wooden shoes, and serving Dutch delicacies and the those beautiful flowers.

When Is The Best Time To See the Tulips?

The end of April, beginning of May is when the tulips start to bloom. The festival is at the beginning of May (check dates). There are hundreds of varieties for the festival, so you are going to see several tulips in bloom at the festival.

What Can I Do at the Tulip Festival?

There are many events going on you will want to plan your trip around. There are parades not only on the weekend, but check the schedule of events to find out if there will be a parade during your visit. Yes, they have more than one!

Take a Tour – Holland Michigan

You can take a tour in your car along the Tulip Lane tour. You just need to follow the white signs pointing you along the Tulip Trail. Here you will find the streets lined with tulips, no only on the edge of the road, but in some areas, also in the median.

There is dancing going on every day of the festival.  People are dressed up in authentic costumes and those wooden shoes.  Watch them klomping and whirling showcasing traditional dances.

Are There Family Fun Activities?

There are several family fun activities for your family do, including the carnival, Tulip Princess tea party, Kinderplaats (where you can go and learn about Dutch culture and history). Don’t forget the fireworks on the last night of the festival! Take a tour of the windmill on Windmill Island is a great experience too. There is a beautiful working carousel for the family to ride.

Veldheers Tulip Farm at 12755 Quincy Street is a total package to see and pick our your tulips and have them shipped to you (October/November). You take a tour of their large farm and can actually see the colors, shapes, smells of the tulips before you purchase them. There is a fee for the tour. You get a pencil and a booklet to write down the numbers of the tulips you like (very important step). Then you go back inside, buy your non-tulip flowers, because they have several other flowers like peonies and coneflowers and all the rainbow colors of gladiola’s.

There are two buildings, the building to the left is the bulbs and farm tour. The building to the right has the Deklomp Wooden Shoe Factory and the Delft Factory. You can watch this through glass as they use the molds (when in operation). Buy your Dutch clogs, try on a very large pair for fun. There are samples to try on in all sizes before you buy.

Nelis Dutch Village at 12350 James Street has 10 acres and lots of activities for the family. Fine over 100 varieties of tulips, ferris wheel, petting zoo and a wooden shoe slide! If you are lucky you may get to see geese and baby geese in the canal. There is even shopping across the canal.

Tulip Immersion Garden – 895 Ottawa Beach Road at Beachwood Church in the back. There are over 50,000 tulips here. This event is only held during the Tulip Time Festival. You will want to buy your tickets in advance to see this beautiful flowers.

What to Know Before You Go – Tulip Time Festival Tips

• visit Tulip time for a map and events happening
• wear comfortable shoes – you’ll be walking A LOT
• the festival is only 9 days long
• you can buy tulips at select locations!
• there will be pollen, so prepare ahead of time
• there is free parking at Windmill Island Gardens (it is limited), there is a per person fee for entrance
  • you can walk to the island if there is no parking available, it’s about a mile walk
  • you can tour the windmill on Windmill Island for a fee
• bring your camera – so many beautiful moments to capture
• avoid the crowds and go a week earlier, some activities will not be available, but you can still see the tulips

 Interesting Facts About the Tulip Time Festival

• the city plants over 200,000 tulips in the city parks and downtown
• over 100,000 tulips are planted on Windmill Island Gardens
• you can buy tulips while at the festival
• over 500,000 visit Holland annually
• there are several parades throughout the week to see
• it may be cold, but so worth visiting and seeing the tulips in bloom

Things To Do in Holland Michigan – Tulip Time

• Take a tour of the Holland Bowl Mill.  They handcraft hardwood bowls.  You can take a tour Monday through Friday.
• Buy DeZwaan milled wheat. Milled by the only authentic working Dutch windmill in the United States.
• Buy tulips.  It’s their thing!
• There are great shops to see and shop at downtown.
• There are great museums to explore.
• There is more to the Tulip Time Festival than just activities downtown.
• If you like this, you may want to see Charlevoix Mushroom homes.
• If you can’t go to the Netherlands, check out Drummond Castle Gardens in Scotland.