Just as promised in part I, we are going to give you a few more events that we suggest you check out during Tulip Time. All of these events are family friendly and a good way for kids to enjoy and learn about the Dutch heritage.
Marktplaats (The Commons at Evergreen – 480 State. St. Holland, MI)
Tuesday, May 9 – Saturday, May 13
10:00am- 6:00pm
You are invited to enjoy all of the different crafts, foods, and sights of the Dutch heritage during Marktplaats (Marketplace). You will get to experience wooden shoe carving, Dutch dancing, and tulip master gardening lectures. In our opinion the most intriguing part is the Dutch treats and cuisine. They have a full menu available with traditional Dutch treats such as Banket and Krentenbrood.
Click on the website below to see the full schedule and menu.
Volksparade (8th St. between Columbia Ave. and Kollen Park)
Street scrubbing starts at 1:15pm
Parade: 2pm- 3pm
The Volksparade, also known as the people’s parade is the first to hit the streets of downtown Holland. They start off with the official street scrubbing where participants gather wearing traditional Dutch costumes. From 2-3pm you can experience floats, bands, and Dutch dancing. Grab a corn dog and enjoy this festive parade!
If you don’t want to get there early to save a seat you can go to their website to buy tickets for the grand stands located by the civic center. Click the link below to purchase ahead of time.
Kinderparade (8th St. between Columbia Ave. and Kollen Park)
Traditional Dutch Dance: 1pm
Kinder Dutch Dance: 1:20pm
Parade: 2-3pm
You will love this parade! It kicks off with Dutch dancing from alumni and children, and ends with the parade of over 7,000 school children dressed in traditional costumes. If you want to purchase tickets ahead of time head to the website listed below.
Muziekparade (8th St. Holland, MI)
Preview Bands: 12:30pm
Dutch Dance Performance: 12:45pm
Parade: 2-3:30pm
This parade concludes the lineup for the week. It is by far the biggest parade with the most beautiful floats, Dutch dancers, and marching bands of all ages. It has over 4,000 participants, 170 units, and the longest parade route in all of Michigan. A word of advice if you plan to go to this parade is to get there early! The open spots fill up extremely fast.
As with the other parades spots are available through ticket purchase at the website below. If you plan on putting a blanket down make sure to pay special attention to the rules and regulations.
Fireworks (On Lake Macatawa)
10:00pm – 11:00pm
The Tulip Time celebration goes out with a bang at the annual fireworks! Every year the night is kicked off by a live band in the band shell at Kollen’s Park and followed by the most spectacular fireworks display off the lake at dusk.
Bring your family and some blankets for a fun and exciting night!
Admission is free.
This concludes our list of must see and do activities for Tulip Time. We hope you are able to get out and enjoy this beautiful festival and enjoy time spent with your family and friends.