HOLLAND, Mich. — It’s that time of year... to talk about tulips.
Holland’s Tulip Time Festival is just a few weeks away. "We're real excited to have that coming very fast,” said Holland’s Park and Recreation Director, Andy Kenyon.
Kenyon says there’s an urban legend that Holland is home to 6 million tulips. “I would think that's a bit much, but we'll say it's between 1 million and 6 million. That gives me a big range," Kenyon said.
It's safe to say you can’t go anywhere in Holland without seeing color come festival time. “This fall, for example, we planted just over 650,000 tulip bulbs just within the city property, as well as many, many more outside, on private property and other things,” Kenyon said.
Some favorite spots to visit during Tulip Time include Centennial Park, Window on the Waterfront, and Windmill Island Gardens.
Holland resident Sarah Roy reflects on Tulip Time, saying, “It’s really nice to just be able to kind of bop around and see all the energy that the event really brings to the town. And we're really thankful to be able to be local and be part of it.”
Kenyon has been a part of Tulip Time for over two decades, and he tells me since it's still cold out, right now the tulips are 'short' and 'tucked away.' So, I had to ask him if he's worried about this year's weather. Kenyon laughed and said, “If you would have asked me this 20 years ago, I would have been panicking by now, but I know that it's nothing to panic about, and they'll eventually come up. So I tend not to worry anymore.”
Bringing nearly 500,000 people to Holland every year, Tulip Time continues to be a fan favorite. “There's lots of things to see, not just here in the city, but all around the community," Kenyon said.
Holland's Tulip Time Festival begins May 2nd.
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