Children’s Activities Planned for Tulip Festival Saturday in 2008         

ORANGE CITY, Iowa —Orange City Tulip Festival 2008 will feature “Family Day” on Saturday the 17^th, with fun activities planned for children of all ages, from morning until after dark. “Families are encouraged to plan a holiday, near home,” says Bert Aarsen, Steering Committee Co-Chair with his wife Peg, “we’ve planned a variety of fun activities and we think children will have a great time and will also enjoy interactive history and art activities.  Meanwhile, parents can relax, let us take care of planning, and forget about cooking for a day.”  The Orange City Tulip Festival is May 15 to 17, 2008.

ArtBurst, a Saturday-only event from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm, at the Sioux County Courthouse lawn, features a juried art exhibit and sale by 30 artists from across the region. Free ArtBurst Children’s activities, are from 10:00 until 2:00 pm. Children are invited to enjoy painting a shirt, canvas wallet, or a wood-handled handbag. There will be a booth for designing and painting fabric snakes, a clown will create balloon animals, and creative volunteers will offer face painting. Native American musicians, Brule’, will perform at ArtBurst, both Friday and Saturday.

Inside the Courthouse, visit the Tulip Festival Children’s Art Exhibit featuring award-winning artwork by area children. The Straatmarkt (just north of the Courthouse) offers Dutch Games, including challenging introductions to old-world fun plus tests of strength and skill. Booths in the Straatmarkt sell ethnic foods, from full meals to favorite Dutch treats. Also at the Straatmarkt, visit the Dutch Street Organ, which features several new music books in 2008. Only two street organs are still operating in the U.S., and a volunteer will be available to demonstrate this unique instrument.

The Sioux County Heritage Center (just south of the Courthouse) features treasures from the region’s early settlers as well as a significant collection of Native American artifacts, including a teepee. Nearby, an operating loom offers a chance to try weaving with help from a local artist. Homestead Artisans adjacent to the Museum, includes an old-time tar house that is open for exploration, an early prairie school, and daily demonstrations by a blacksmith, who offers weather vanes and other useful art for sale.

The Old Factory’s Wooden Shoe Maker demonstrates an essential old-world skill, and children are invited to watch an artist transform a block of wood into a shoe. Shoes are available for sale, for a fun day of “klomping.”

Two parades daily, offer both afternoon and evening entertainment. The afternoon parade is preceded by children and teens dancing in authentic Dutch costumes, while klomping their wooden shoes. Hundreds of local citizens of all ages wash the streets prior to afternoon parades, again in Dutch attire. Puppet shows, featuring handmade puppets, tell classic Dutch fairy tales, and are popular with young visitors – free at 4:00 pm and 5:00 pm, behind the Little White Store on Central Avenue.   

Also, be sure to visit the Windmill Information Booth in Central Park and enjoy:

The Molen (Windmill) Gardens (8 miniature windmills) and Tulip Gardens.

The MOC-FV Drumline Show, every afternoon after the parade awards.

Horse-drawn trolley rides. Buy tickets at the Windmill Booth.

Enjoy the Carnival Midway and Treats, all day, every day.

Other family-friendly attractions:

Tour the Vogel Windmill (see website for directions), an operating mill.

Ride a Pedicab, a bicycles with carriage-style seating for several people.

Visit the 1^st Tulip Festival Car Show, featuring all makes and models.

For comprehensive information on Tulip Festival activities on all three days, check our web page: octulipfestival.com. For tickets and reservations, contact Rachel Meekma at 712-707-4510 or via email: tulip@orangecitycomm.net