Years ago I worked in Holland and commuted in the Tulip Time traffic. While it was busy, the traffic was not awful. A large percentage of the people who come are on tour busses, so they are fairly well self contained when they make their rounds to the various events. There are a lot of parades, Dutch dancers, and a variety of shows that can be fun; there really is a lot of community involvement. A good friend of mine lives right in town on Tulip Lane. He puts on his Dutch costume each year and plays his banjo on the street corner. That's something you're just not going to see everywhere!!
The festival is scheduled for May 1-9 this year. If you are interested in just seeing the flowers and some of the attractions, don't feel like you need to be there for the festival. They have early and late blooming tulips, so you can usually catch them before and after the festivities take place. Also, depending on the weather it is not uncommon for the flowers to peak a week or so before or after the festival. I can remember one year it was called the stem festival by the locals because it had been a long winter and they had not bloomed yet!
This may be one of the few times Covid may work in your favor. Last year they called off Tulip Time, but that doesn't keep the flowers from blooming! The only thing I see listed on the website for activities are the artesian market and outdoor garden tours. My guess is there is a good chance most of the events will be called off and there will not be nearly the normal sized crowds.
I hope you decide to come, there is a lot to see in Michigan. I do feel obligated to put in a plug for Northern Michigan! May is also when the cherries start to blossom, there are a lot of scenic orchards. It is a great time to see Lake Michigan and the Grand Traverse area!!
https://tuliptime.com/https://www.awesomemitten.com/traverse-city-cherry-blossoms/Only in Holland!
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Topic: Question for Michigan Folks (Read 1998 times)