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Tulip Time Festival

Experience the enchantment of the Tulip Time festival in Holland, Michigan—a captivating celebration of nature, culture, and community. This vibrant event, set against the picturesque shores of Lake Macatawa, paints the charming city with a breathtaking kaleidoscope of colors. As spring arrives, millions of iconic tulips burst into bloom, transforming Holland’s streets and parks into a symphony of vibrant hues. Spanning over a week, the Tulip Time festival not only showcases the region’s Dutch heritage but also pays homage to its longstanding tulip-growing tradition, which dates back to the 19th century.

The story of the tulip reaches far beyond the shores of Lake Michigan. Originating in Central Asia amidst the majestic peaks of the Himalayas, these wildflowers enchanted nomadic soldiers who collected their seeds and bulbs. These treasures traveled through Persia and Turkey, eventually taking root in the courts of Constantinople as early as 1055 AD. The tulip soon became a symbol of wealth and power in the Ottoman Empire, with its blooms adorning turbans. It didn’t take long for the allure of this flower to spread to the Netherlands.

In 1847, Albertus Van Raalte founded Holland, Michigan, and with the arrival of additional immigrants, the area’s loamy soil proved to be the perfect home for the tulip bulbs they brought in their luggage. Years later, a biology teacher named Lida Rodgers proposed the idea of mass tulip planting as a tribute to the city’s founding fathers. Inspired by her vision, 100,000 tulip bulbs were sown, and in May 1929, the first Tulip Time celebration bloomed into existence, forever intertwining the city’s identity with this majestic flower. Today, more than five million tulips bloom throughout Holland each spring.

One of the must-see attractions in Holland is the Windmill Island Gardens which is home to De Zwaan, the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the United States, which still turns and grinds wheat into flour today. The windmill’s name is Dutch for The Swan or Graceful Bird.

Resolute Holland residents Willard Wichers and Carter Brown sought to pay homage to their city’s rich Dutch ancestry. Their mission was to bring a genuine Dutch windmill to Holland. However, a significant obstacle presented itself, as many of these monumental structures had fallen victim to the ravages of World War II. Consequently, the Dutch government imposed a ban on windmill sales outside the Netherlands. Unfazed by this setback, Wichers and his group obtained a unique exemption by selecting De Zwaan, a windmill in desperate need of restoration. Eventually, the Dutch government decided to sell De Zwaan to Wichers for $2800, marking the windmill as the final one to leave the Netherlands. Accompanied by a wealth of historical documentation provided by windmill authorities, the City of Holland unraveled the story of De Zwaan. Originally constructed in 1761 as a grain mill in Krommenie, Netherlands, it stood elegantly atop a raised base, designed to harness the wind’s power most effectively.

In October of 1964, De Zwaan embarked on a transoceanic voyage aboard the Prins Willem van Oranje. Upon reaching the shores of Muskegon Harbor, it was carefully unloaded and transported by truck to Windmill Island. Over the following six months, skilled craftsmen meticulously reconstructed the windmill, endeavoring to restore its original splendor. Instead of the earthen mound that had supported it in Vinkel, a raised base was erected, faithfully recreating the mill’s appearance during its time in Krommenie. The momentous occasion arrived in April 1965 when the grandeur of the 125-foot windmill was formally unveiled and dedicated on Windmill Island—a 36-acre haven that emerged from a once-dense swamp at the eastern edge of Lake Macatawa.

Besides the windmill, Windmill Island Gardens boasts 36 acres of exhibits, gardens, and natural areas, including a working street organ that was a gift from the city of Amsterdam after World War II, an antique carousel with handpainted animals, replica structures, and a historic Little Netherlands display showing life in the countries in the 1840s.

De Zwaan Windmill

De Zwaan Windmill

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The Tulip Time Festival is located throughout the Holland area.

  • Begin your floral odyssey at Centennial Park, nestled at 239 South River Avenue. This Victorian-style park, once Holland’s bustling market square, now blooms with over 48,000 tulips, cobblestone pathways, a serene fishpond, and a fountain, the perfect backdrop for a harmonious symphony of colors.
  • Continue to downtown Holland, a vibrant hub that boasts over 25,500 tulips with streets adorned with a tapestry of blooms.
  • Just a stone’s throw away, at 110 Columbia Avenue, lies Window on the Waterfront. Here, 90,000 tulips in full bloom await on the banks of the Macatawa River.
  • For an experience steeped in history and culture, venture to Windmill Island Gardens, situated at 1 Lincoln Avenue. Here, amidst 161,500 tulips, stands the magnificent De Zwaan windmill, an emblem of Dutch heritage.
  • Journey to the Tulip Immersion Garden, an immersive horticultural gem with 65,000 tulips located at 895 Ottawa Beach Road.
  • Make your way to Veldheer Tulip Farm at 12755 Quincy Street. This expansive 40-acre family farm hosts a staggering four million tulips along the seemingly endless rows of blossoms.
  • A visit to Nelis’ Dutch Village, at 12350 James Street, is a journey back in time. Here, amidst 25,000 tulips, a faithful re-creation of an 1800s Dutch village awaits, transporting you to a bygone era.
  • Conclude your floral expedition at Kollen Park, located at 240 Kollen Park Drive. Here, a modest but charming display of 4,500 tulips awaits you, nestled in a serene waterfront setting.

There are also six miles of curbside plantings in Holland’s historic neighborhoods south and west of downtown.

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