How and When ‘Tulip Time’ Was Created in Holland, Michigan

The whole reason Holland, Michigan was given that name is no surprise...it was named by Dutch settlers who came here in 1847. The name was chosen and dubbed by Reverend Albertus van Raalte.

As for when the idea of a ‘Tulip Time’ came about, it happened years later in 1927. During a meeting of the Woman’s Literary Club, high school biology teacher Lida Rogers said “why don’t we make the tulip our town flower, since its connected with the Dutch?” She went on the suggest a town festival called “Civic Beauty” which would not only showcase the tulips, but also nearby Lake Michigan, the sand dunes, beautiful trees and more.

The Chamber of Commerce suggested planting tulips in every yard and soon they purchased 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands to be planted in various places and parks in the Holland area. In 1929 the tulips began blooming and the notices went out for everyone to come visit Holland to see all the beautiful tulips. It went over big, and it became an annual event called ‘Tulip Time’.

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But that wasn’t enough. The festival encouraged the wearing of authentic Dutch costumes and wooden shoes and adhering to traditional Netherlands customs. The public ate it up.

By the 1930s Tulip Time was now a nine-day event. In 1933, the Klompen Dancers were formed to perform old Dutch dances. Starting out with 12 dancers, they grew to over 1,400.

The Tulip Time Festival was discouraged during World War II, but renewed in 1946, cutting down from nine to four days.

During the 1940s the Netherlands began showing interest in Holland, Michigan, strengthening the ties between the two. In 1947 the city of Amsterdam sent a barrel organ to Holland; since then, it has been played during events and Tulip Time parades. It is currently on display at Windmill Island.

In the 1960s, Tulip Time became a destination on group and bus tours. Finally, in 1991 the Festival became a 10-day event thanks to the tulips being in full bloom throughout the month of May.

In 2001 it was shortened to 8 days.

Thanks to the pandemic, the 2020 festival was canceled, bringing outrage. It was brought back in 2021 much to the pleasure of residents, tourists, and the town economy...