Town Crier Articles

 

In mid-May my husband Ric and I traveled to the Midwest ostensibly to visit three National Parks but more importantly to experience Tulip Time in Holland, Michigan. What a show it was - both natural beauty and human warmth.

 

Holland, Michigan is a mini-Dutch suburb, taking seriously its heritage and traditions. For 8 days each spring the entire city celebrates tulips. The streets and parks are lined with tulips. (Obviously their cold winters must discourage squirrels and rabbits.) Homeowners plant bulb displays and compete in the city’s floral show including great photography and themed floral arrangements. (Did you know that Holland claims that the author L. Frank Baum wrote “The Wizard of Oz” while vacationing on Lake Macatawa?) Naturally this year’s competition was a variety of Oz-inspired topics prompting creativity in many forms.

 

Besides a Dutch village recreation/children’s park, there is a spectacular display of tulips at Veldheer Tulip Farm (4 million bulbs) along with a wooden shoe and delft pottery factory. We hit the tulips at their peak - their brilliant colors were something to amaze even a non-gardener like me. 

 

Holland has a proud tradition of “klompen” - traditional Dutch dancing in wooden shoes which dates to 1935. The dancers were out in force performing on the downtown streets.

 

The parades associated with Tulip Time are both eyeopeners. Holland’s Kinderparade is filled with elementary schoolchildren in costume celebrating different aspects of Dutch culture and history. Then to close the festival, there is a larger Volksparade with floats and local bands and the pre-parade “street scrubbing” led by the Mayor.  Of course the Holland High School Band wore wooden shoes down the entire parade route. Several thousand visitors lined the streets to cheer on the festivities. Fireworks on the lake closed out the festival-their equivalent of the Fourth of July.

 

My true bucket list item is to visit Amsterdam and the Keukenhof spring garden. But Holland, Michigan was a lot closer (and cheaper) and certainly a wonderful surprise.  

 

P. S. Writing this article was inspired by Jim Ducibella’s April 2022 article on Gloucester’s Daffodil Festival, and this month's Pirate Festival - who knew!  The Communications Committee desires to broaden contributions to the Crier from throughout New Town. There are so many small town and city festivals - for example, has anyone attended the “Red Flannel” i.e. long johns, festival in Cedar Springs, Michigan? Do you have a favorite festival either in the area or elsewhere to recommend for residents to consider? PLEASE SEND IN A WRITEUP FOR OUR NEXT CRIER ISSUE-ntratown.crier@gmail.com.