Orange City, located in northwest Iowa, is well known for its Dutch heritage. The citizens of Orange City celebrate their ancestor’s traditions and customs once a year in a 3-day celebration called the Tulip Festival.
The main street alone is unique in the fact that all of the stores have the “Dutch look”. Orange City was founded in 1870 and the Tulip Festival began in 1936. Every third weekend in May is set aside for this celebration.
There are over one hundred thousand visitors that come to Orange City during this weekend.
There are two daily parades, featuring live performances of Dutch singing and dancing, wooden shoes and all! There are thousands of tulips on display. It is a great place to take family photos, with all of the colorful tulips in the background.
Kids enjoy the carnival rides and also the delicious treats, such as funnel cakes. Yummy! They also have a street scrubbing ceremony where men and women, even children, dress in Dutch costumes and clean the streets.
This is a great place to have a cheap, family fun-filled weekend!
