I Used To Just Go Through the Motions
Tulip Time From A New Perspective- Have you ever been so accustomed to something that it is second nature, even for years, but then see it in a different light later in life? That can even happen in the major aspects of life such as marriage, parenting and spiritual life. But on a less important scale, I experienced a new perspective on the dutch festival down the road, the one that has taken over my life every first weekend in May since my preschool days.
My Own Childhood
My parents moved to Iowa when I was very young. It didn’t take them long to join the Tulip Time bandwagon in Pella, Iowa, probably because they had young children that were required by the school to be involved. As a Pella student, I walked in every afternoon parade in a dutch costume and had ample opportunities to ride floats. As we local students grew, we could march in the parade with our school band or other area groups. Depending on the child, Tulip Time involvement can be great fun or it can be torture. The costumes and uniforms can be hot and cumbersome and the parade marching rigorous. But some kids overlook the torture and enjoy the festival.
Parenting Young Dutch Kids
As a parent of a child in a Pella school, I have felt both the strain and the fun of the festival. It was difficult as someone living outside of Pella to get my young children dressed and to the parade meeting site. There is very little parking in the town during Tulip Time, and the crowds kept us from moving very fast. Finding a place to change into a dutch costume (that has many parts and pieces) also proved challenging. But my kids had so much fun eating at the food stands and seeing the sites when they were young. They loved watching the parades and seeing the colorful and imaginative floats.
The Experience Shift
Now that they are teenagers, everyone’s views of the festival are changing. My kids can walk around and eat on their own, and prefer to do so in the company of friends. My husband and I don’t have to worry about my 17 year old at all, and just have to drop my non-driving 14 year old at school at a certain time to so she can march with her band. We pull her up to the school and she takes care of the rest. It is magical.
Which leaves my husband and I to experience Tulip Time our own way. We do take our turn working in the school food stand, one that raises money for their own cause, but otherwise can just enjoy. We walk around at our own pace, get the food we want to get and people watch, all with no munchkins tagging along behind and voicing complaints. It is during these leisurely times that I can truly soak in Tulip Time and asses how it has changed since my childhood. Or maybe how I have changed.
Today’s Assessment
It is interesting to sit back and watch the show rather than being part of the acting crew. People arrive by the busload, bringing as many as 200,000 people to this small town that has a population of 10,000. They walk around to look at the blooming tulips and eat the dutch food. They ride in the tour wagons, tour the historical villages, spend money in the shops and watch the costumed people in the parades. Being so deeply involved in past years, I didn’t understand the draw. But without many obligations and rigid time schedule, I get it.
I Get It
When I have a chance to walk around and see the spring flowers on a beautiful day, while eating something delicious, along with my life partner, it is a fun day. There are so many scenes of beauty that time of year, from the tulips to the ponds, to the pink blooming trees, to the fresh air, to the blue skies. The people in the parades put on a good show for us, and the scenes of historic buildings around us make me feel like I am in a story book. I understand why people flock in to experience this fairy tale atmosphere and escape normal life for a few days. The town comes alive and seems like a very different place than the usual Pella that I see every work day, even though the town is always beautiful.
The Crowds
When May brings a beautiful day to the first weekend in Pella, the people come out, all kinds, shapes, sizes and colors. I love it. When I was young, it seemed like Tulip Time visitors were mostly older people, but now I notice more and more out of town young families enjoying the festival. Years ago, I don’t remember seeing many visitors different than the white dutch folks that live in the town. But this year I saw so many varieties of people, I dare say from around the world- Asian, Indian, Amish, Muslim, African, Brazilian, Middle Eastern, and these are just the people I ran into. They came in families, couples, and alone. I heard many different languages spoken among them. How special to for us to experience their culture while they visit the Dutch culture. I can’t help but wonder if these visitors came from across the seas or if they live in the U. S. In either case, they blessed my day and the Tulip Festival.
Looking at the crowds in general, the whole scene is pretty entertaining. I don’t mind crowds if I have the time to get lost in them. Lots of little kids being loud and excited. Many older people with their canes and walkers going about 2 miles per hour, holding up the crowds behind them. Adults who look pretty average, but are pushing dogs in strollers. Some even strap them on their chests in dog holders or baby wraps. (I so wanted to take a picture of a dog strapped to a woman’s chest, but decided not to make a potential scene.) Teenagers with crazy clothes and hats, eating junk food and just enjoying life. I get a kick out of just watching the variety of people in the world around me.
The Food
Even though Tulip Time is a celebration of the Dutch culture, many kinds of food walk the streets. The Dutch food consists of things like Poffertjes, Dutch Tacos, and Dutch Letters. But honestly one of my favorite food stands is the Chinese booth. The family sells at Tulip Time every year and the food tastes fabulous. I also see visitors eating Mexican dishes like nachos and walking tacos. Of course, there is the traditional carnival food, like corn dogs, funnel cakes, snow cones and fried string potatoes. It is all fabulous, and it is nice to skip the plain hot dog booth that we frequented when my kids were young. The food at Tulip Time has gotten better over the years with more booths and more variety. The food might be what mostly draws the crowds. Just guessing…
The Tulips
Being a gardening fan, more and more I appreciate the thousands of tulips planted all over the city. When I was little, I was forced to sit and smile in front of them for pictures every year. And I was afraid to touch them because of the $100 fine one would get if he or she picked one. (Not sure if this is true or if my parents used this to keep us kids away from the flowers.)
But today I marvel at the beautiful colors and the amount of work I know must go into planting those bulbs every year. Tulips are kind of a miracle flower. They are one of the first flowers up out of the ground in the spring. They bloom early, and then are done for the year. The weather has to be just right for these tulips to bloom the first week of May for the festival. Amazingly, it usually works out. When I stand in the middle of the town square with colorful blooms all around me, I marvel at the city and the Creator God.
The Parades
The parades are a huge part of the 3 day Tulip Festival. There are two parades per day, and many people work together to make them happen. There are dutch historical floats, fun floats and floats that honor our country. As I said earlier, all the local school children walk together in the parade. They hold hands and wave at the people watching. Being a farm community, tractors also make an appearance. My favorite though, are the high school bands. They march in perfect time and impressive uniforms, playing a tune that can only be made by working together. The drums pound away so loudly that they can be felt in your gut, a true sign they are doing their job. If one thing is the same as when I was young, it is the fact that for me the drums are the essence of Tulip Time. When Tulip Time approaches I look forward to feeling those drums in my heart. And if I hear drums another time of year, I always think of Tulip Time.
A Sign of My Age?
Well, maybe the fact that I understand the draw of Tulip Time shows that I am getting older. Sometimes a person has to just gain some life experience and knowledge in order to appreciate the little things. It isn’t a weekend that I will absolutely have to attend every year. But when not committed to a certain aspect of it, I can now see why people travel distances to spend time in the tulips. The celebration is quaint, peaceful and beautiful, all qualities that blur the lines of ethnicity, race and gender. Qualities that can are enjoyable for anyone and everyone. Pella has done a good job of appealing to a variety of visitors and catering to the masses.
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