Tulip Time in Pella--2013

This was what greeted us on Friday of
this year's Tulip Time Celebration

Today, Saturday of Tulip Time, Pella finally had one of the six parades scheduled for the three day festival. Tonight the lighted parade was to be held in a light rain, but the stage show was cancelled.

Yesterday was snowed out (see the photo at right) and Thursday's activities were rained out.

A year ago I wrote about Tulip Time in Pella that the unseasonably warm winter and spring of 2012 had caused all but a few tulips to bloom in April and people coming in May had missed the beauty.

This year please consider
coming next week
 or even the week after for some beautiful blooms. Tulips actually like cold and snow and generally keep their pretty shape longer.

Perhaps 2014 will find the happy medium. It is always fun to be in Pella.

Many people work hard to make you feel welcome. The weather--not so much.

Tulip Time

The first full weekend in May, this year May 3, 4, and 5, is the time for a huge celebration in Pella where "A Touch of Holland" is our nickname.

This year the tulips in town were blooming at the end of March and people were encouraged to come twice: see the tulips in April and see the parades, dancing, shows and food this weekend.  There might be a stray tulip or two, but most of the plants are now bare of flowers.

May 10 residents of Pella are invited to go ahead and dig up the bulbs to plant for next year in their own yards, for the prime beds get all new plantings with summer flowers and in the fall fresh bulbs to bloom the next spring.

The last two years, just after I bought myself a Dutch outfit to wear, I was called out of town for family events and missed the festival altogether.  This year I look forward to getting a bit involved.

I will put on my Dutch costume on Friday afternoon and be a host in the Wyatt Earp house in our historical village. And I will eat many poffertjes (little pancakes).

So to all of you Dutch and non-Dutch out there: Happy Tulip Time.

Peace!