Thursday marks the beginning of Pella’s much-anticipated Tulip Time Festival that will be held from May 5-7.
Visitors to the festival will see over 350,000 tulips that have been planted throughout the town. Emily Buckingham is part of the 2022 Tulip Time Court and she says despite the cooler weather, the tulips are still pleasing to the eye.
“This year our tulips are looking fantastic. They’re absolutely gorgeous. There’s a little bit concern with the colder weather but tulips are really hardy and the cold or the cooler spring has actually done amazing things.” Emilly Buckingham, 2022 Tulip Time Court
Guests have to opportunity to encounter Dutch heritage, entertainment, history, food, and two parades each day. Sarah Gritters, the 2022 Tulip Time Queen, says she and her court are in each parade which ties into her favorite Tulip Time memory.
“My favorite childhood memory was seeing all of the parades when I was little. I got to ride in a fire truck with my grandpa a lot and so I always enjoyed getting to do that with him.”Sarah Gritters, 2022 Tulip Time Queen
2022 will be the first year since 2019 that the Tulip Time Festival will have no restrictions due to the pandemic. In 2020, the festival was canceled. Last year, crowds were limited and there were no parades.
Officials estimate Pella could see around 250,000 visitors for this year’s festival.
