HOLLAND, Mich. – Recently named USA Today’s “Best Flower Festival” in the country, Tulip Time starts next weekend and crews are midway through set-up.
Even with the cooler weather Thursday, Tulip Time Executive Director Gwen Auwerda said to expect full bloom by Tulip Time.
“The flowers are expected to be perfect for the festival,” said Auwerda. “We have about 50 percent in bloom right now, next week everything should start to pop out. They actually love this cool weather, to have a 40 degree night closes the buds up and then they pop right out the next day.”
In the forties and right where the tulips like it, the 87th Tulip Time is ready to kick off with its signature beer just tapped this Tuesday.
“Great malt flavor... you’re going to get big banana, clove, some spiciness finish to it and it’s just a fantastic beer to celebrate all that is Tulip Time and all that is Michigan,” said Joel Petersen, New Holland Brewing marketing vice president.
“All that is Michigan,” New Holland Brewing’s Hollander beer is a saison that Petersen said is completely brewed from Michigan hops and ingredients.
“For anyone who lives or works or plays in Holland, Tulip Time is a huge part of our community and its 10 years of support from New Holland now in partnership with Tulip Time,” he said.
“We love having a front row seat to watching everyone go up and down 8th Street here so really looking forward to it this year.”
Bringing roughly $12.9 million in economic impact, Auwerda said it’s a festival recognized nationwide.
Whether it’s the number of Dutch dancers, runners, or arts and crafts vendors, this year’s Tulip Time hopes to break records like last year: record attendance, including people from all 50 states and several countries.
“It brings everybody out after a cold, long winter to kind of come back together as a community,” said Auwerda.
“It takes 800 volunteers to put this festival on and we couldn’t provide the level of things we do without that.”
For more information go to TulipTime.com.
