Tulip Festival Queen's History
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for a listing of all past queen's and courts dating back to 1937
2009 Queen and Court
The 2009 Juliana Pennings. Her court included Carissa Cleveringa, Kim De Jong, Kelci Mulder and Karina Smit.
2008 Tulip Festival Queen & Court
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photos by Captured Moments |
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2008 Tulip Queen and Court Bio’s Queen Katie Buntsma: Katie is the daughter of John and Cheryl Buntsma. She is a senior at MOC/Floyd Valley High School where she participated in band, speech, chorus, fall productions, quiz bowl and MOC-FV welcoming committee. Tulip Festival activities include, scrubbing streets, Dutch games, Dutch dancing, band and the night show. This fall Katie will attend Bethel or Northwestern college. Jenna Woudstra: Jenna is the daughter of Earl and Karen Woudstra. She is a senior at Unity Christian High School where she participated in basketball, track, softball The CAST, school plays and choir. Tulip Festival activities include, Dutch dancing, Dutch games, and band. This fall Jenna plans to attend Northwestern College. Julia Haverdink: Julia is the daughter of Greg and Laura Haverdink. She is a senior at MOC/Floyd Valley where she participated in orchestra, choir, NHS, volleyball, and musical orchestra pit. Tulip Festival activities include, Dutch dancing, Dutch games, Night Show and riding floats. Julia plans to attend UNI Olivia Wielenga: Olivia is the daughter of Kevin and Dixie Wielenga. She is a senior at Unity Christian High School where she participated in drill team, soccer, plays and musicals, Knight Sounds, orchestra and choir. Olivia plans to attend Northwestern College in the fall. Paige Blythe: Paige is the daughter of Jeff and Darcy Blythe. She is a senior at MOC/Floyd Valley High School where she participated in band, jazz band, color guard, choir, NHS, golf and softball. Paige plans to attend Central College.
Queen Katie Buntsma |
2007 Tulip Festival Queen & Court
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2007 Tulip Queen & Court Bios Queen Rebekah Kuiken Queen Rebekah Kuiken is the daughter of Rachel and Roger Brunsting and the late Bruce Kuiken. She is a senior at MOC-FV High School where she has participated in volleyball, golf, Pride of the Dutchman Band and National Honor Society. Tulip Festival activites include marching, Dutch dance and riding in the parade on a tractor with her grandpa. This fall Rebekah will attend Taylor University. Story from Capitol Democrat about Rebekah and her family here. Julie Eekhoff Julie Eekhoff is the daughter of Dennis and Margene Eekhoff. She is a senior at Unity Christian High School and is involved in cross country, cheerleading, track, Knight Sounds and is a Living Group Leader. Julie has participated in Dutch games, marching and riding on floats in past Tulip Festivals. Next year Julie plans on attending Dordt College. Maggie Achterhof Maggie Achterhof is the daughter of Rick and Paula Achterhof. She is a senior at MOC-FV High School. She is involved in National Honor Society, basketball, volleyball, golf and the Pride of the Dutchman Band. Past Tulip Festival activities include the mode show, scrubbing streets, marching, Dutch dance and Vande Fear. After graduation, Maggie will attend Northwestern College. Emily Muilenburg Emily Muilenburg is the daughter of Mark and Lisa Muilenburg. She is a senior at MOC-FV High School. Throughout high school, Emily has participated in National Honor Society, Pride of Dutchman Band, jazz band, choir and speech. Emily has participated in Dutch Dozen, marching, street scrubbing and riding floats. Following graduation Emily will attend Northwestern College on a Peale Scholarship. Anna Schiebout Anna Schiebout is the daughter of Dan and Brenda Schiebout and is a high school senior at Unity Christian High School. Anna enjoys participating in National Honor Society, golf, choir and is Living Group Leader. Past activities during Tulip Festival include scrubbing streets, Dutch games, marching and Dutch dance. Anna will attend Southeast Tech in the fall. |
2006 Tulip Festival Queen & Court
Queen Cassie Huizenga with her court of Janna Bloomendaal, Sarah Muilenburg, Emily Elsberry, & Autumn Wielenga
Court members Janna, Emily, Sarah, and Autumn are wearing Afternoon Walcheren. The jak (jacket), rok (skirt), and schort (apron) are all made with a black polyester fabric. The girls all said they “really lucked out” by getting a “breezy” costume with short sleeves. “Black is also slimming,” they joked. Two notable pieces of Afternoon Walcheren are the beuk (or bodice) and the hat. The bodice is made of a beautiful light blue and burgundy flowered material worn under the jacket. The doekje (scarf) is white and is also worn inside the jacket. The hat consists of two parts: the ondermuts (under hat) and the bovenmuts (upper hat). Each is made with white lace and white broadcloth. Most notable are the metal ornaments at the temple. They are gold in color and have small antique gold balls and a pearl hanging from each side.
These five girls, Janna Bloomendaal, Emily Elsberry, Sarah Muilenburg, Autumn
Wielenga, and Queen Cassie Huizenga, have been busy brushing up on their Tulip
Festival facts and are now making numerous appearances to promote the festival.
Although the work of the court is time consuming and a bit intimidating they all
agreed that they “wouldn’t trade their experience for the world” and emphasized
that they feel so lucky to be a part of this festival tradition. Each girl
recalls a time as a child that she looked with awe upon the court sitting atop
the most beautiful float of the parade. “I’d sit on the curb of the street and
brag that the queen looked right at me,” said court member Sarah Muilenburg. How
quickly this year’s Tulip Court has gone from little girls with their feet in
the street gutter water, to young women ready to represent Orange City.
There are parts of the festival that the girls will have to miss this year, like
marching with the Pride of the Dutchman or Dutch dancing with all their friends,
but some of their favorite parts will stay the same, like “riding the float and
seeing all the people!” said Autumn. This year’s court will also be a team for
the second annual VandeFear, “and we’re going to win,” warned Janna. What is new
about this year, however, is what the court is learning with each appearance and
meeting. “Before this experience we all had such a limited view about the
festival, but after seeing all the work behind the scenes we all have a greater
appreciation,” said Emily.
One ‘behind the scenes’ committee is the Tulip Court Costume Committee. Headed
by Cheryl Hiemstra, this group began preparations in June, months before the
court was chosen. The 2006 Tulip Court’s costumes are from Walcheren, an island
in the Province of Zeeland. Zeeland, or the “land of the sea”, is recognized as
the “garden of the Netherlands.” The flower of the garden is Walcheren, for it
is filled with beautiful farmland, and unique architecture, parks, and dunes.
Queen Cassie is dressed in the very colorful Party Walcheren, which dates back
to 1860. Made with the same pattern as the Afternoon Walcheren, Cassie’s costume
has a few unique features. First, instead of black, the majority of the fabric
is navy. The apron and skirt add sage green and burgundy, and the scarf is sheer
pink and white flowered cotton. Second, a zonmuts (or sun bonnet) is added to
the court’s two-piece hat. Made with cream-colored linen and bordered with navy
blue, the bonnet brings out the deep blue of Cassie’s eyes. In the back of the
bonnet are two pieces of navy blue ribbon, pleated into rosettes, draping down
the back of the costume. At the front, a burgundy and gold braid is held
together in the front with a clasp. The most distinctive feature of Cassie’s hat
is the large gold ornament placed across her forehead.
Finally, and most impressive, is the cream-colored bodice embroidered with
numerous cross-stitch motifs. In December, Cheryl Hiemstra brought Cassie a
large book outlining numerous symbols and their meanings that would make up the
design of the bodice. “It was a lot to look at, but in the end I’m really happy
with the choices I made,” said Cassie. There are more than a dozen cross-stitch
motifs, each delicately embroidered by Cheryl, that carry unique significance to
Cassie’s life. “It’s special because it’s personal, and as Cassie grows she can
keep adding symbols relevant to her life,” said Cheryl. The girls on the court
enjoy pointing to a symbol and then sharing its “deeper meaning”. For example,
books symbolize knowledge and learning, the harp symbolizes music, praise, and
worship, and a cross symbolizes faith. “My favorite is the yellow rose,” Cassie
said as she pointed to the flower placed right in the center, “because it means
friendship.”
Friendship and love are what surrounds the 2006 Tulip Court. They absolutely
love their costumes. “We really like our hats because we don’t have to do our
hair!” they joked. With each appearance they are learning to love new aspects of
preparation for the festival, and are anxiously anticipating the arrival of
those precious days in May. More than anything, however, they love each other’s
company and friendship. They will forever be thankful for this opportunity and
are honored to be able to represent their community in such a unique way.
2005 Queen & Court
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2005 Queen Haley Janssen 2005 Court Brooke Achterhoff Elizabeth Van Oort Megan Van Voorst Melissa Wallinga |
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Tulip Festival
Orange City, Iowa • May 13, 14, & 15
