The 2022 Tulip Time Festival is now just a little over two weeks away, but organizers spend all year preparing for the beloved event. 13 ON YOUR SIDE checked in with organizers to see how everything is coming together.
"It's a lot of work," said Tulip Time's Executive Director, Gwen Auwerda.
Even though tulips in Holland right now look just like stems, everything is on track for a wealth of color and variety in just a couple of weeks.
"The tulips love the cold weather, and they even don't mind snow," Auwerda said. "The temperatures that are supposed to be in the 70's this weekend are really going to help the flowers get up and bud and begin to bloom by early May."
Auwerda said that in these weeks before the festival, they're focused on all of the small things needed for a successful and smooth event.
"We finish getting banners up, signage, and organizing any last-minute reservations," she said.
"You'll start seeing more garbage cans, porta-potties, and all of the infrastructure behind the festival that allows us to accommodate 500,000 people in nine days," Auwerda added.
Auwerda said there are some changes and some new and exciting additions this year.
Artisan Market
The annual Artisan Market will be hosted at Beechwood Church on Ottawa Beach Road in Holland. This market is where over one hundred vendors will highlight their artisanship and sell unique, hard-to-find items. The Artisan Market will run from Saturday, May 7 through Sunday, May 8, 2022.
Parades
"We have two parades this year instead of three," Auwerda explained. "And this year we'll include the street scrubbing at the beginning of the Quality Car Wash Volksparade so that more people have the chance to see it on the weekend."
Gentex Kinderparade
The Gentex Kinderparade (children’s parade) is a time-honored favorite. On Thursday, May 12, 2022, elementary school children will line up with their teachers and school administrators in full costume and smiling faces as they march together through downtown Holland. Each school and grade will have their own theme that nods to the towns’ Dutch heritage, from Dutch agriculture to the Dutch Master’s painters. The Gentex Kinderparade will be held on Thursday, May 12, 2022.
Quality Car Wash Volksparade
The Quality Car Wash Volksparade (people's parade) will be big and bold as Tulip Time combines elements of the Street Scrubbing parade and the Muziek parade. People from near and far will be invited to don their Dutch costumes, grab a bucket and a broom, and scrub the streets clean for the coming performances. Town officials will walk through with their ceremonial white glove inspection to approve the streets for the parade and when the town crier officially announces the official's approval, the parade will start. Dozens of bands from West Michigan middle and high schools showcase their talents amid the community floats through downtown Holland. The Quality Car Wash Volksparade parade will be on Saturday, May 14, 2022.
Immersion Garden
"Our tulip immersion garden is a brand new exhibit that has never been in the United States before," said Auwerda.
The Immersion Garden was designed by Ibo Gulsen of the Netherlands. This collaboration with Tulip Time is his first-ever US creation.
Gulsen's immersion garden will elevate the tulip time experience to new heights...literally. The immersion gardens will be at the Ottawa County Fairgrounds where there is ample space for an attraction of this size and plenty of parking.
There will be a cost associated with the timed tickets, visit the Tulip Time website for more information or to purchase tickets.
Zeeland Girl: Beyond Tradition by Rem van den Bosch
Zeeuws Meisje (Zeeland Girl) by Dutch photographer, Rem van den Bosch, makes its way to the U.S. for the first time. A photographic series in three parts, #equality, #tulips and #brotherhood, Zeeland Girl is a collaborative project involving dressmakers hand-sewing traditional dresses with modern spins and photography with bright contrast to spark discussions about the need for mutual respect, solidarity, and care for the environment. van den Bosch’s striking photos will be displayed on towering, 10-foot-tall displays, and side-by-side with twenty-five of the dresses used in the series. The series will be hosted by the Holland Armory, downtown Holland for the duration of the festival.
van den Bosch will also be available for a limited availability VIP cocktail hour where he will discuss his work. van den Bosch is most recently known for his project Here Comes the Flood – a photographic journey about the rising sea levels in the Netherlands, which will be on display at Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, Netherlands and throughout the city of Amsterdam.
Tulip Time 2022 starts May 7 and runs through May 15. Stick with 13 ON YOUR SIDE for in-depth coverage leading up to, and throughout the festival for everything you need to know! You can also view a full list of festival's events and shows by clicking here.
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