I am a big fan of colorful flowers and always try to capture the glimpse of spring blooming each year. Since spring has arrived, I was waiting to see Tulips. I have already shared my Experience of Tulip Festival in Skagit Valley. In Wisconsin, it’s very difficult to find Tulip farm So we went all the way to Michigan state. The Tulip Time Festival in Holland, Michigan is very famous in the Midwest. As far as I know, this is the only place which has nice Tulip farms in the Midwest. Apart from Tulips, it’s a great place to explore Dutch culture and heritage.
Tip to Explore
- If you are visiting with kids then bring a stroller you can use the stroller to roam around the town and in the Farm.
- If you are with younger kids than keep water and snacks with you because if you are using the park & ride facility then it will be convenient.
- Check weather and blooming predictions before you plan.
- Be prepared to walk because Tulips are scattered all around Town.
Tulip Time Festival in Holland Michigan
We reach there around 12 noon, there was plenty of traffic in the town as everyone coming to enjoy Tulip Time festival. We decided to visit the Tulip Time festival office first, collect information and then head start our trip. They provide a brochure which has all required details, including Map of the city, so easy to find directions. They have a beautiful Tulip display outside the office, so take out your camera and start capturing the beauty of Tulips. With all the pieces of information, I decided to visit the Windmill Island first, followed by Dutch dance and art & craft fair.
Windmill Island
From Tulip Time office windmill island is around a mile and a half. The weather was sunny and warm so we decided to walk there. You can also take your car and drive, but there is limited parking and it gets full early. I would suggest if possible take a walk to see this beautiful town and historical buildings. It was a beautiful walk, they have small patches of Tulips on sidewalks as well. You can also take a trolley tour if you don’t want to walk or drive.
The Windmill island has historic buildings, beautiful tulip display, Native Indian town and of course Dutch Windmill. We started with the upfront small patch of Tulips. As you follow the path between the Tulips you will see a street setup with Dutch style homes and shops with a colorful exterior.
Follow the same path which leads to a small windmill. As everyone trying to take pictures you might have to wait for your best shot. As we were trying to get pictures, Suddenly I heard gunshots, so I was wondering where is the sound coming from. There was a show performed on natives and British army fight. I have never seen this type of show. It was an amazing show which explains the history.
In the same ground, there is huge windmill and Tulip display. You can climb to the Windmill base and get a spectacular view of the island and tulips. There was a display of native town and I got a chance to meet native Indian, such a nice talk with him and learn a little about history. This place gets crowded, so better to reach as early as you can.
They also have a display of “The Four Columns” built in 1928 by the famous organ maker “Carl Frel”. The Four Columns was a famous organ and often played on the street in Breda, Rotterdam, and Amsterdam. It was a gift to City of Holland from the City of Amsterdam in 1947.
Centennial Park
After enjoying Dutch Music we headed back to Centennial Park to watch Dutch Dance. They have different timings for Dutch Dance so check before you plan your itinerary. As it was more than one-mile walk from Windmill Island to Centennial Park you need at least 20 mins to reach there. Police will close the traffic for a small section of dance performed on the street and everyone can watch from sidewalks. There are also dance performances by the kids. Both dance performances have different timings and place.
There is art & craft fair at Centennial Park, which you should not miss. We explore the fair and seen so much stuff made by a local vendor. During exploring the fair I found Blueberry Jalapeno Jam. I have never heard this combination in Jam, so Bouth it. I found many unique kinds of stuff as well. Worth exploring the market.
Tulips are beautiful flowers. It’s too bad you must travel so far to enjoy them. Though, this sounds like a wonderful way to experience them.