TULIP TIME
By Holland Area CVB
06/12/2008
Visit the quaintest and most engaging town in Michigan during our annual Tulip Time festival. Experience Dutch History up close and personal with parades, games, shopping, exotic dish and tons of entertainment that is plentiful for any group.
Contact Information:
t: view phone 800-506-1299
e: view email wendy@holland.org
w: view URL http://www.holland.org
- Experience Reader’s Digest’s pick for “Best Small Town Festival
- Tour through the only authentic Dutch windmill in the U.S.
- Tiptoe through over six million tulips of all varieties
- Enjoy Dutch food, dancing, and culture
- Peruse the only authentic blue and white Delftware made in the U.S.
Tour Dates:
Number of Days: 1
DAY 1:
When you arrive in Holland, a Dutch-costumed step-on guide will board your coach for a insightful and entertaining three-hour tour. You’ll drive through tulip lanes lined with thousands of colorful tulips, historic neighborhoods, Hope College, beautiful parks, and an award-winning downtown. Lunch will be followed by a visit to the breathtaking Windmill Island Gardens with over 175,000 tulips, the Little Netherlands Museum, gift shop, slide show, and, of course, the DeZwaan Windmill. You’ll tour through this magnificent 247-year-old structure, America’s only working Dutch windmill. You can even purchase the flour that the windmill produces. Afterwards, you will check into your hotel to freshen up for a sumptuous dinner followed by one of Tulip Time’s many evening entertainments.
DAY 2:
The day begins with a Taste of Holland breakfast buffet at which the chef will explain traditional Dutch cooking methods and show the award-winning “Tulip Time in Holland” video. Then it’s off to the Veldheer Tulip Farm where you’ll find literally millions of tulips in 125 varieties. Right next door, you can watch wooden shoe carving and the hand-painting of authentic delftware at the DeKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delft Factory. The next stop is the Dutch Marktplaats with hundreds of authentic Dutch arts and crafts, souvenirs, and lace; Dutch music and Klompen Dancing; and a lunch of Saucijzenbroodjes, boerenkool stampot, and other Dutch delicacies. The afternoon brings the finer side of Netherlands culture with a tour of the fully-restored Victorian-style Cappon House, and the Dutch Galleries of the Holland Museum. Kick up your Klompen with a Dutch Dance performance, and then enjoy a lavish buffet dinner and musical cabaret.
DAY 3:
You’ll think you’ve time-traveled to the Netherlands of the 1800’s when you enter Nelis’ Dutch Village. A guided tour takes you through ten acres of authentic Dutch architecture, canals, and spectacular gardens. Enjoy Dutch dancers Klompen to the music of the Amsterdam street organ, and watch the wooden shoe and candle carving. The many fine shops offer authentic Dutch lace, Delftware, wooden bowls, hand-carved candles, and much more. Lunch will be served at the lovely Queen’s Inn, followed by a shopping trip to downtown Holland and its unique gift shops, boutiques, and galleries. After that, you’ll watch a rousing parade – with many area band, floats, and a large palette of local color – from your reserved bleacher seat.
