Tulip Time behind the scenes with Executive Director Gwen Auwerda

One of the largest festivals in West Michigan is right around the corner. The Tulip Time Festival will be celebrating its 84th event this year, and hopefully the cooler temperatures and all this rain we have been seeing will result in big, beautiful, tulips! Gwen Auwerda, Executive Director of the festival wrote this great blog post giving the inside scoop of the upcoming event for all you Tulip Time Lovers! We hope to see you there May 4-11.

"In Holland Michigan it has rained for the past 13 days and the tulips love it.  The town is being spruced up from a long winter and the Tulip Time Festival staff and interns are busy with the finishing touches on all the great events, entertainment and parades.  Here is a behind the scenes look at the Festival.

Members from First United Methodist Church who make the Pigs-in-a-blanket every year.

500 dozen pigs-in-the blanket,  a traditional Dutch food, were made by a group of volunteers from First United Methodist Church.  “Pigs” as we call them are a sausage roll covered with pastry dough and served to thousands of visitors at Dutch Marketplaats lunch in our Civic Center.  This is quite a time-honored tradition for the church.

Thirty bands are practicing their marching skills and will be marching in the Saturday GMB Muziekparade,  the longest parade in Michigan at 2.4 miles. The Columbia Central High School Golden Eagle Marching Band from Brooklyn, Michigan is anticipating its 69th year marching in the Tulip Time Festival GMB Muziekparade! Starting in 1941, this band has traveled nearly 300 miles round trip each year to participate in the Tulip Time Festival parades. Some of the group’s favorite memories of the Festival include the inconsistent weather conditions our lovely Lake Michigan provides each year, the thrill of the crowds’ response to the band’s performances and the seemingly timeless experience the Festival provides.  This year, May 11th is the day of the  GMB Muziekparade, but also another important day in the lives of CCHS students: it’s Prom night! This important celebration of high school is not deterring the band from making its appearance at Tulip Time. Director Joe Folts, lends this dedication to tradition and loyalty. “Kids wouldn’t think of not going to the Festival, it’s not a question, it’s a treasured tradition.” Some band members are second generation marchers making participating even more important and special for the Golden Eagles.

Dutch Dancing is another signature event during the Festival.  The dancers typically learn the dance in high school and can continue dancing as an “alumni dancer” after graduation.  This year, we have over 900 dancers who wear clothing representing the late 1800s and early 1900s.  Practices begin in January and the dancers spend 30 hours over the next 4 months learning the dance.  This event is a visitor favorite and free!

We couldn’t put together an internationally known flower festival without our beloved volunteers.  It takes over 800 volunteers over an 8 day period to help with trash pickup, ushering at the shows, set-up, deliver potted tulips to the venues around the city, assist with the Tulip Time run, Queen’s Day Bike Criterium and the three parades.   It is because of the dedication of these volunteers that our city can invite over 500,000 guests to Join the Dance!  We hope to see you in beautiful Holland for the 84^th Tulip Time Festival."

Thanks to the Tulip Time Festival for allowing us to republish this post.

Pick Your Trail!

Written by the Michigan Trails and Greenway Alliance

Michigan, The “Great Lakes State”, is looking for a new title: “The Trail State.” With more than 12,000 miles of trails, Michigan is one of the top trail destinations in the United States. Trails offer opportunities to see “The Mitten” in ways you’d never have thought possible: you’re on the inside, seeing the heart and physical splendor of this great state. You can travel through beautiful forests and around some of Michigan’s 11,000 pristine inland lakes, down one of the scenic coasts, or through quaint towns you never knew existed. They give the opportunity to appreciate nature and are a means of achieving the renewal of body, mind and spirit.

Certain routes are designated for snowmobiling, and others are for equestrian, hiking, biking or a combination of uses. The trail opportunities are countless in a state as diverse as Michigan.  We have short trails, long trails and trails that were transformed from railways to multi-use pathways. Michigan has the most rail-trail miles in the country, even more than other trail leaders Pennsylvania and Minnesota.

"Many people are surprised to hear that Michigan has more miles of rail-trails than any other state in the nation,” said Nancy Krupiarz, executive director of the Michigan Trails and Greenways Alliance, “and we encourage them to come out and explore all they have to offer."

More pathways are in the works and more people are recognizing trails as assets regarding recreation and health improvement, transportation options, tourism and economic growth. Since the increase in popularity of trails in the last several years, there has been amplified support from government on every level, from Governor Rick Snyder announcing the first ever Michigan Trails Week in September 2012, trail planning and implementation from regional and local levels, to individual citizens advocating for trails and using them for their recreation and transportation needs. A state-wide trail plan is underway, moving the focus from building individual trails to connecting Michigan through a series of trail networks. The groundwork has been laid for networks of trails, connecting towns to towns, and people to people.

The end goal is to have a truly trail-connected state, where leisure and non-motorized transportation options are around every corner. The “Trail State” title is not too far into the future as trails are helping shape Michigan’s recreational identity. 


Use this link to find all the trails in West Michigan!