Orange City Tulip Festival

Every third weekend in May, the township of Orange City puts on an annual Tulip Festival. I have been to three, and find something new every time. From watching the traditional Dutch street dancers, to the many pastry shops, to the art corner, this has always been an outdoor event I look forward to every Spring. And even though this year’s was cancelled due to COVID-19, I still drove the 45 minutes up to Orange City to see the tulips. The nearly one hundred pictures on this post are the accumulation of a total of four years’ worth of photographs I’ve amassed since my first visit six years ago.

We will be visiting Orange City in October, so for the sake of keeping this post’s length not excessively long, we will be reviewing just the basic information here. Founded in 1870 by Dutch settlers, it has an approximate population of 7,000 residents, and is the county seat of Sioux County.

Home to Northwestern College and Diamond Vogel paints, the Dutch storefront architecture have been maintained since its founding one hundred and fifty years ago. This unique cultural design can be seen all over town, not just on Central Avenue. We will admire more of Orange City’s architecture at the end of this post, but for now let’s admire what we came for, Tulips!

Tulips!

In the center of town, right next to the Windmill Park, surrounded by flags of Dutch communities, are several beds of tulips, in an array of colors. Beautiful bright white, to rich dark purple, these tulips always bring people from all around to appreciate their splendor. I love the variety, and I’m never alone while I’m walking around snapping photos from every angle.

But tulip beds are not just planted here in the city center, you’ll find them outside the courthouse, the Veteran’s Memorial Park, the Visitor’s Center, and even in front of hundreds of homes and businesses. The town truly comes alive in color and Dutch pride during this time of year.

In fact, the first Tulip Festival celebrated here in Orange City was in 1933, and after the end of WWII in 1946, city organizers had 50,000 bulbs imported directly from Holland! Every year is different, including the absence of this year’s celebration, but that didn’t deter residents from showing their community support, and their Dutch pride. I was happy to hear festival organizers arranged together a scaled-down parade for the senior citizens to keep spirits high during this stressful time.

Straatfeest

Past festivals include not just a parade of local businesses and marching bands, but also street scrubbing, traditional Dutch street dancing involving children from 5-years old to high school seniors, and families dressing in authentic costumes handed down from generation to generation.

Street Scrubbing

Volksparade

Klompenmaker at the Stadscentrum

Now that we have discussed the basics of the Orange City Tulip Festival, let’s review some events you might experience upon your visit. Starting off with the Stadscentrum. Here, you’ll witness wooden shoes being made on historically accurate equipment, and even hear music being played on a one-of-a-kind 107-year-old Dutch street organ. Comprising of 67 keys, 288 pipes, drums and registers, this piece of musical equipment is one of few still in working condition worldwide.

Dutch Street Organ

Horse-drawn Trolley tour

After being serenated at the Stadscentrum, make your way to Windmill Park, and board an hour-and-a-half long horse-drawn trolley tour. You’ll learn about the history of Orange City, its settlers, and landmark sites while riding in a traditional Hindeloopen-style trolley. Surprisingly, out of all the years I’ve been to Orange City during their tulip festivals, I have never taken a tour. Therefore, this is at the top of my list for next year’s celebration!

Century Home

Once you arrive back at the Windmill Park, you’ll want to walk around after sitting for over an hour on your trolley tour, and I have the perfect place: Century Home. Located just one block north on Albany Ave, is the historic home built by the town’s first mayor. Preserving its 1900 décor, this home depicts what life was like during the turn-of-the-century. And every year, the home is open during the Tulip Festival for self-guided tours. All along the way, however, are guides to answer your questions about the home’s specific artifacts.

A lot of work from the community has gone into period-dating this home. From staining the wood accents, to residents donating pieces of furniture, there’s a lot to see and learn within these four walls. Built in 1900 by Antonie Betten Jr. (an early settler from Pella) for his second wife Cornelia, this home looks remarkably the same as it did one hundred years ago.

Eventually the house was sold to a young lawyer, Martin D, Van Oosterhout, who eventually became a judge, and was even appointed by President Eisenhower to be the Chief Justice of the U.S. Eighth District Court of Appeals, in St. Louis, Missouri. Soon after Van Oosterhout moved to St. Louis, the Dutch Heritage Boosters purchased the home, seeking to maintain its historical relevance and safeguard its significant importance to the history of Orange City for years to come.

Poffertjes

Now, I bet you’re hungry, then let’s head to the Little White Store for one of the most famous Dutch treats you’ll have during your visit to the Tulip Festival, Poffertjes! Looking like miniature pancakes, these light, spongy sweet treats are worth waiting in line for. Leavened with yeast, and cooked in a special pan, these tiny pastries are sprinkled with powdered sugar, creating a unique and unmatched flavor.

Wooden Shoes

located behind the little white store – where Poffertjes are made

Carnival Midway

But that was just the appetizer, because now we’re off to the Carnival and Straatmarkt to eat some more yummy traditional Dutch treats! You’ll have a chance to try Dutch baked goods, cheese souffle, Bamischijf noodle patties, and Dutch meatballs and hotdogs. In addition, make sure to take home an impressive variety of their fudge.

Straatmarkt

Also, amongst the Straatmarkt vendors are little souvenir shops. The past couple times I’ve gone to the Tulip Festival, I’ve picked up keychains, magnets, miniature wooden shoes, and trinkets for my China hutch. Imported directly from the Netherlands, you’ll have a large selection of stocking stuffers come Christmas time.

Artburst Corner

And since we’re on the topic of gifts, don’t miss the art show. Independent artists, sculptors and dressmakers set up their tents on the grounds of the Sioux County Courthouse lawn, inviting you to browse their large collections. Out of all the art fairs I’ve ever been to, this has to be one of the most high quality, and well organized events I’ve had the pleasure to attend.

Central Ave Shoppes

Before, we head off to our last stop let’s enjoy a walk down Central Avenue. There’s a lot to choose from, so take your time window shopping, and remember there are three days to this festival, so if you find yourself running out of time, make sure to come back the next day.

Quilt Show

This last stop on our blog post is set away from the festivities on Central Avenue, in the MOC Floyd Valley High School on 8^th Street. Admission is $5.00 into the Quilt Show, which is open for viewing from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., therefore I would advise to leave this as your last stop of the day. However, if you run out of time, you can always come back in the morning.

When you arrive, you’ll be given a submission paper with five categories listed for you to choose your favorites. At the end of the three-day quilt show, votes will be tallied, and ribbons will be given to the contest winners. As a first-time quilt show attendee, I came to the realization that quilts are, indeed, a form of artwork. Many of the quilts entered into this competition I would rather hang on my wall, than drape over my bed. Plus, I had no idea quilting could be done on a much smaller scale, and that there are different sizes to quilt patterns. From big to large, the tight stitching and color combinations allow event goers to witness some of these contestant’s incredible talent.

My 3 personal favorites!

Planning for next year

Looking at all the pictures I’ve included in this post, you’d expect to have experienced and seen everything there is to see at the Orange City Tulip Festival, but, unbelievably, there are still several things I have planned when I go to next year’s festival.

For starters, I want to take a horse-drawn trolley tour, listen to the guides, and learn even more about this historic Dutch town. In addition, I want to take a tour of the Vogel Old Mill, visit the Heritage Museum, attend the antique car and tractor shows, buy handmade souvenirs from the Dutch community craft show, enjoy a pastry at the Dutch Bakery, and finally eat dinner at the Nederlander’s Grill. Whew! I’m ready. Are you?

Now that you have a better understanding of what to expect at the Orange City Tulip Festival, I hope to see you there next year. And as the Dutch say: “Tot de volgende keer”.

Cover photo: https://www.facebook.com/OCTulipFestival/