ORANGE CITY, IOWA - Orange City's Tulip Festival 2008  –  May 15, 16, 17  –celebrates the best of small-town America and highlights this community's Dutch heritage. The American Bus Association named the Orange City Tulip Festival to the 2008 Top 100 Events in North America. The ABA committee making selections includes motor coach and tour operators, and winners were selected from hundreds of celebrations, festivals, and fairs across the USA and Canada (www.buses.org). Orange City’s Tulip Festival was also named “one of the top six destinations in the Midwest,” by The Kansas City Star in 2001, while readers of AAA’s Home & Away magazine named this event their top pick for Iowa festivals  in 2004.

 

 Each year, 1,000 volunteers welcome and entertain  between 50,000 to 100,000 visitors to this Dutch community in the Northwest corner of Iowa. Family-friendly fun includes the twice-daily VolksParades, preceded each afternoon by the StraatFeest – dance and song performances by hundreds of local citizens of all ages in authentic Dutch costumes. Other festival attractions include the Dutch Dozen, singing and dancing in wooden shoes, Fietsenzangers, a bicycling singing troupe, and a Quilt Show featuring hundreds of quilts, from traditional masterpieces to modern art by the Sioux Prairie Quilters. This year’s Quilt Show will also feature antique quilts and offer a glimpse of the history of quilting fabrics in America.

 

For a tour of town and tulips, consider horse-drawn trolley rides or a private ride in a Festival’s Pedicabs, powered by a local citizen pedaling a bicycle.  The Molen Garden in the Windmill Park includes replicas, 5 to 23 feet tall, of windmills in the Netherlands. The StraatMarkt offers ethnic treats from spicy local brats to rich desserts. Poffertjes, tiny pancakes in rum butter, are a local favorite available at the Little White Store on Central Avenue while “Dutch Puppies” are a popular treat – a waffle on a stick covered in chocolate and whipped cream.

 

Carnival rides provide thrills for kids of all ages: toddler-friendly train rides, wild spins for teens, and a Ferris wheel for those preferring a peaceful view of tulip gardens in Windmill Park. Children of all ages enjoy historic Dutch games from another era in the StraatMarkt, while free daily puppet shows feature stories from the Netherlands.

 

Tickets are still available but advance purchase is recommended for the Night Show 2008, which feaetures “The Sound of Music.” A full orchestra  will again enhance the performance and the cast includes newcomers to the area as well as seasoned Night Show performers.

 

 

Friday's Youth Night begins with a late afternoon performance by Native American musicians, Brulé, a parade featuring area high school bands, and a drumline show. At the event’s Annual VandeFear (a Dutch spoof on Fear Factor), teams of area high school students will race to conquer unique challenges in friendly competition. Crowds can enjoy cheering on the competitors from the safety of the sidelines, beginning at 8:00 pm. Food vendors offer treats nearby and carnival rides await. The evening ends with bands performing in the Windmill Park Band – VandeBands  – check our website for details on participating bands in 2008.

 

Saturday’s Family Fun begins with either brisk exercise or a hearty breakfast. The Annual Kiwanis Club Road Race includes both 5K and 10K runs, again with TimeTrack® computer-aided timing systems. The race includes a wellness walk and is open to athletes of all ages, with registration forms on the festival website. This year packets must be picked up Friday evening, with Saturday check-in at 7:00 am, and the race beginning at 8:00 at Windmill Park. The Fly-in Breakfast at the Municipal Airport is from 7:00 to 11:00 am and includes pancakes and sausage for a freewill donation to RISE Ministries.  New in 2008, The Tulip Festival Car Show. All years, makes, and models are welcome and prizes will be awarded in five categories.  Pre-entry: $10. Day of show cost: $15. (For details: iowarod.com/registration or call 641-919-1515).

 

ArtBurst, Saturday’s juried regional art show and sale will be held on the Sioux County Courthouse lawn from 10:00 am until 4:00 pm. Regional artists display and sell a variety of media in a relaxing, outdoor venue. Native American musicians, Brulé will perform throughout  the day at ArtBurst, plus on Friday afternoon, with all free concerts on the Sioux County Courthouse lawn ( www.brulerecords.com ). Saturday is “family day” in 2008, and ArtBurst includes special activities for children: face painting, arts and crafts, balloon art.

 

Location?  Orange City is just off Highway 60 between Sioux City, IA and Worthington, MN, is only 60 miles south of Interstate 90, and 45 minutes north of Sioux City.  Learn more, view our television commercials, and download a pdf file of the 2007 Orange City Tulip Festival brochure at www.octulipfestival.com.

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For information, press passes, or to make arrangements for press visits, please contact the Tulip Festival Press Team by emailing us.  We’re 2 of 1,000 volunteers and we want to be sure one of us is available to assist you in enjoying and featuring our event!

 

Grete Carlson                                          Lisa Burg

gcarlson@pionet.net                                 burgstu@pionet.net

H/O: 712-737-3406                                  O:  712-737-5367

Cell:  712-441-5765                                  Cell:  712-251-2003