HOLLAND, MI — Holland is adding a new festival this year. This one is coming to Windmill Island Gardens, but brace yourself; it will be during the winter.
They're calling it "Magic at the Mill." Organizers are looking to make this a year-round destination.
They plan to use lights that look like tulips to create a massive display with one big surprise.
The changing of seasons leaves little time for tulips. Now that the tulips are gone, seasonal flowers are popping up all over at Windmill Island Gardens.
"We just had an absolutely great Tulip Time. We had almost 75,000 people here. It was crazy busy. We set all-time record numbers. We're happy to see all the people out here to experience the tulips to experience the beauty," Windmill Island Gardens Development Manager Matt Helmus told FOX 17.
Helmus oversees Holland's big events. He says Magic at the Mill is going to be a first for them.
"So, the plan is to have about a 50 foot by 100-foot tulip field of led lights. So it'll look like tulips that are lit up," he added.
The concept Helmus is looking at has been used elsewhere around the world. He says the festival would run for a few weekends in December. Helmus says to imagine the windmill all lit up is the grand surprise.
"So, we plan on doing about a seven or eight-minute show that families can come on watch. It'll be music sync to this light show. So we think it'd be pretty neat, especially with the rest of the campus," Helmus told FOX17.
Helmus says they budgeted $100,000 to make this a reality. At this moment, the cost to see the show when it's ready would be $10 for adults and $5 for kids.
"We're hoping to draw people from throughout the region. And you know, Chicago, Illinois, Ohio, all those types of places come up and spend the weekend," he said.
If you want to get out before winter, you're in luck. Saturday morning, they plan to plant more tulips to be ready for next season.
