Orange City, Iowa — The annual festival to celebrate tulips and all things Dutch is coming up in about six weeks, so preparations continue.
We talked with the Orange City Tulip Festival Marketing Director, Jenon Scallon, who tells us what kind of activities volunteers and others are doing to get ready.
She gives us an idea of some of the ways that you can help.
The festival’s website is www.octulipfestival.com The phone number again is 712-707-4510. The 2019 Orange City Tulip Festival will be May 16, 17, and 18, 2019.
Members of the 2019 Tulip Court are Queen Allison Haverdink, daughter of Mark and Suzanne Haverdink, court members Aarika Van Gelder, daughter of Larry and Phyllis Van Gelder, Emma De Groot, daughter of Don and Michelle Vaas, Jadeyn Schutt, daughter of Bruce and Amy Schutt, and Jadeyn Veltkamp, daughter of Susan Veltkamp and Brad Veltkamp.
Organizers tell us that this year the Tulip Court costumes come from the fishing village of Marken in Noord-Holland on the Zuiderzee. With the men out to sea fishing, the women, isolated on the island, had lots of time to devote to embellishing their brightly colored costumes with ornate fabrics, trims, and embroidery. This year’s costume has a total of 35 different fabrics, laces and other trims and each represents dozens of hours of sewing and other handwork by Tulip Festival volunteers.
Scott Mulder of Mulder Oil has been selected as the parade marshal for the 79th annual event.
