Traditions: Tulip Time

Some of you may know of the annual festival that consumes our town for a week or two each year known as Tulip Time.  This is a time to see all kinds of gloriously colored tulips, stuff your face with junk food, watch parades and reconnect with your inner Dutch spirit.

This year, the tulips decided to make their appearance a bit early.  And by a bit early, I mean they popped out of the ground a whole five weeks early.  But this didn't hinder the celebrations!  Instead, we were able to celebrate Stemfest 2012, though we did catch a few tulips before the festival began.

Surveying the Surviving Tulips from Above

We were able to borrow a costume for Quincy, which as you can see in some of the photos he loved to wear (and by loved I mean cried a lot and couldn't wait to get out of it).

Quincy and I attended all three parades, including the Kinder Parade, which we walked in for the "scrubbing of the streets".  No, neither Quincy or myself scrubbed the streets (a bit hard to do while carrying an infant or being one), but we took pictures!  I even pulled out my costume from my old Dutch Dancing days.  In case you are curious, we are dressed in the traditional Volendam consumes

For the final parade on Saturday, it was a family affair with the entire H-G Clan.  Despite the rain, we stayed warm and relatively dry.

Got any local festivals you join in each year?  Feel free to share!

~M