Six Million Tulips and Counting … Soak in the Energy of Holland, Michigan during Tulip Time

May is Tulip Time in Michigan! I was lucky enough to enjoy a month-long stay in Holland, Michigan during May of 2021 and it was pure sensorial delight!

Tulip Time has been touted as the Best Small-Town Festival and the Best Flower Festival in America. I can see why. The charm is undeniable, and the six million plus tulips can’t be beat.

It was a lucky side effect of Covid-19 that I was able to experience this lovely town as we were just getting to the other side of this pandemic. Most who wanted vaccines had received them. Masks were beginning to come off, returning us to a new sense of normalcy. And it was before planes were overflowing and travel had returned to its bustling pre-pandemic level. The town of Holland and its tulip-lined streets were blissfully uncrowded this year.

Let’s talk about how this tradition began nearly 100 years ago. As it happened, a local biology teacher recommended a day long festival to celebrate the town’s Dutch roots. The idea took hold and the city sold 100,000 tulip bulbs for a penny a piece in 1928. A fall planting that year generated the first tulip festival in May of 1929. It has grown every year since.

Tulips bloom for a week or two in the spring. To encourage the bulbs to bloom the following year without replanting them, it’s important to deadhead the flowers after they are past their prime. The stems and leaves, which are important energy sources for the bulb, should be left attached. After the stems and leaves are dried, remove them and cross your fingers that the tulips will bloom once again next spring.

Most often, Holland’s major tulip-growing establishments dig up the bulbs at the end of each season and plant new ones. In fact, there’s a fun and quirky community bulb digging event the weekend before Memorial Day. Bring a trowel, a 5-gallon bucket, and dig away. The major commercial areas start with fresh bulbs that are planted in October, before the ground freezes. Residents have access to free bulbs that will add more color to their front yard, all for the “cost” of playing in the dirt one Saturday morning with your friends and neighbors.

Start planning for next year! Here are the 5 most worthwhile viewing spots to discover tulips of every type, texture, and color in Holland, Michigan.

#1 Tulip Lane offers 6 miles of residential streets with tulips lining each side of the greenbelt that runs down the center of the road and overflowing flower beds in every yard. It’s part of the town’s vibe and it’s free to wander the streets or drive through and gaze. Start here.

#2 Centennial Park is in the “downtown” area of Holland. I say “downtown” in quotes because this is a small town we’re talking about. Park on the street and wander. This quaint park is filled with a surprising number of tulips artfully arranged in a serene environment.

# 3 Window on the Waterfront is another city park and walking area that lines the banks of the Macatawa River. There are more tulips than you can imagine in this area and it’s also free to explore. Bring a picnic lunch, a refreshing beverage, and a blanket to enjoy this beautiful display from tulip level.

# 4 Windmill Island Gardens is across the water from Window on Waterfront. The large, working windmill can be seen in the distance. There’s a small entry free of $10. I spent a couple of hours wandering through the tulip fields and learning about the last authentic Dutch windmill in the US that continues to grind flour. There’s also an antique Dutch carousel, a playground for the kids, and a gift shop for trinkets and windmill-ground flour.

#5 Veldheer’s Tulip Garden is also worth a look for $15 if you’re not burned out on tulips by this time. It’s more of a commercial operation with a focus on selling hundreds, if not thousands of different types of tulip bulbs. This is your place if you want to buy bulbs and ship them home. They also do a great job promoting Dutch culture with the adjacent DeKlomp Wooden Shoe and Delft factory which is accessible at no charge. In this building you’ll learn about how wooden shoes are carved and see the area where artisans hand paint and glaze authentic blue and white Delftware.

I was welcomed to this small town with open arms. I felt like a local. Midwest people are just my vibe – so friendly and down to earth. If you have a couple of days free during the first week in May, put it on your list to visit America’s tulip capital. You won’t be disappointed!

Beyond the tulip festival, there’s much more to see and do in western Michigan. I stayed for a month and couldn’t be happier that I did. Stayed tuned for the next few blogposts where I’ll share the “can’t miss” hotspots for this part of Michigan. In the meanwhile, if you’re interested in more photos, head on over to my Instagram profile @travelistaliz.