Source: Tulip Time official website
Lida Rogers, a Holland High School teacher, originated the idea for a tulip festival in 1927, according to the Tulip Time official website. Rogers also wanted the city to adopt the tulip as its official flower because of its ties to the Netherlands, the website states. Tulip Time has since expanded throughout the decades and celebrates Holland's Dutch heritage. Dining Chair
It should be noted that indigenous people inhabited the land before the Dutch settled in the area, according to historian Robert Swierenga.
Source: Holland Area Visitors Bureau
I was excited to explore the city during the Tulip Time festival. Tulip Time executive director Gwen Auwerda told Insider that the 2018 festival drew more than 500,000 people to the city of Holland for both ticketed events and free activities.
Former Tulip Time development and marketing director Darlene Kuipers told the Grand Rapids Business Journal in 2018 that the festival's goal was to conduct an economic impact study on the event every three to five years. The 2018 study is the most recent.
The festival takes place in different locations all over Holland, so there's no entry fee. Certain exhibits are also free to enter.
The windmill is the only authentic Dutch windmill operating in the US, according to the Holland Area Visitors Bureau. It's surrounded by rows of tulips in the gardens. Entry to the gardens costs $12 for adults and $6 for kids year-round, Holland's official website states.
Insider's reporter covered the cost of this event herself.
There were so many people taking pictures in the tulips and in front of the windmill. The air was fresh and there wasn't a cloud in the sky.
Source: The city of Holland's official website
Molded Plastic Side Chair Source: Tulip Time official website