Exploring Michigan: Tulip Time brings colors of the Netherlands to Holland
Holland, Mich. — Spring is here, and that can mean only one thing in Holland, Michigan - It’s Tulip Time!
Hundreds of thousands of tulips dazzle downtown Holland every spring.
"All of the tulips you see in downtown Holland come from the Netherlands fresh every year," Gwen Auwerda, the Executive Director of Tulip Time, said. "We place an order in June, they arrive in early October, they get planted in the ground, and they bloom beautifully.”
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Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at Holland High School, came up with the idea behind Tulip Time back in 1927.
She recognized that many of her students were of Dutch descent and wanted to plant tulips around the city to tie Holland, Mich. with the Netherlands.
“In the fall of 1928, 100,000 tulips were planted by the city," Auwerda explained. "When they bloomed in 1929, people came from all over to see them.”
Since then, Tulip Time has grown to be what it is today, with 550,000 new tulips brought in each year.
One of the most iconic places to view the tulips is at Windmill Island Gardens.
"The superstar of our show is usually the windmill set in the 36 acres of gardens," Matt Helmus, the Development Manager at Windmill Island Gardens, said.
The windmill isn’t just there for display though, it also still grinds grain.
“It’s the last authentic Dutch windmill allowed to be transported from the Netherlands," Helmus explained. "It’s a historic windmill from the village of Vinkel in the southern part of the Netherlands. It’s still functioning today, and you’ll see it turning during the festival and throughout the summer.”
The windmill makes for a perfect backdrop when taking pictures of the tulips that surround it.
"It’s absolutely beautiful," Helmus said. "It looks like a slice of the Netherlands here with the windmill, the tulips, and our other Dutch buildings. It’s a busy time but a fun time.”
Thousands of people visit Holland from all over the country, but locals never miss out on Tulip Time either.
"Everybody’s ready to get outside after a cold winter, so it’s really celebratory," Auwerda said. "People are seeing neighbors they haven’t seen in months. Just walking downtown, I run into people that I haven’t seen in a while.”
If you are looking to visit Windmill Island Gardens during the festival, tickets can be purchased at the gate. They are $12 for adults and $6 for kids aged 3 to 15.
Windmill Island Gardens is open from 9 am to 6 pm, seven days a week during Tulip Time.
Tulip Time runs through May 12 this year.
More information regarding events, the status of the tulips, and construction can be found on Tulip Time's website.