HOLLAND, Mich — Rain or shine, people will be flooding into downtown Holland for this year’s Tulip Time Festival starting May 4th. And it doesn’t matter if you’re a festival veteran or a first-timer, there is a lot of good information you need to know before you make the trip, starting with parking.
"There's plenty of parking, and it's very walkable," said Holland Parks and Recreation Director Andy Kenyon.
Even in wooden shoes that doesn't sound too bad for what is one of West Michigan’s largest events of the year. But if you want the good spots, you'll want to show up early – especially on the weekends, says to Kenyon.
WHERE TO STOP
"There's lots of free parking all around the city," he told FOX17. "On-street parking, we have two free parking decks as well. One on 7th Street and one on 9th Street, kind of near the Civic Center and kind of near Window on the Waterfront. So, utilize those as best you can. Otherwise, you may have to park a couple blocks away from downtown or from a park and then walk."
GETTING TO AND FROM
There is some road construction to keep in mind; Eastbound I-196 Business Loop is closed from US-31 to 88th Street in Zeeland.
If that is an issue for your trip, don't worry! We've gotdetour details and construction updates here.
Once you get to your parking spot, the next most important piece of information you need to know is proper social media photo etiquette.
NO TIP-TOEING
Tulips only bloom from late April into mid-May— with thousands of people expected from around the world, the best thing you can remember to help everyone see the fruits of all that labor is don't touch.
"Please take all the photos you want, but please stay out of the tulip beds," asked Kenyon. "We have been purposeful about places like Window on the Waterfront and Windmill Island and created some pathways for people to get into the tulips so you can walk down the path and it looks like from a from a perspective of a camera, you're inside the bed. But in reality, you're just on a path which is great."
Planting the hundreds of thousands of flowers takes year-long planning!
"So yeah, just stay out of the beds and don't pick them either," Kenyon emphasized. "Leave them there for everybody to enjoy."
Great advice.
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