The annual Orange City Tulip Festival Extravaganza was held Wednesday, March 14, at Prairie Winds Event Center. The event featured a luncheon and program during which the costumes for the 2018 Tulip Queen and Court were revealed and the 2018 parade marshal was introduced.

Members of the 2018 Tulip Court are Queen Juliana Tien, daughter of Gale and Cathie Tien; Alexa Arends, daughter of Troy and Darla Arends; Josie Maasdam, daughter of Kirk and Becky Maasdam; Haley Smit, daughter of Jason and Kara Smit; and Corinne Wiese, daughter of Robert and Tricia Wiese.

Queen Juliana and her Court will wear the authentic dress from the village of Urk for this year’s festival.

Court members are wearing the everyday Urk dress.  The costume features a black short sleeve top with brocade sleeves and a black wool skirt.  On top of the black top, Court members wear a “kraplap” of yellow satin brocade edged in black trim.  Their aprons are made from a striped fabric of primarily reds, blues and yellow that were purchased in Holland.  Their hats are in the “hul” (simple bonnet) style and are made from starched cotton and yellow lace with a small black fabric piece worn around the head underneath.  Their hats are shaped by the silver “orijizer” and held together by pins. Finishing details of their costumes include a black velvet purse, striped slip, and three strand coral necklaces.

Queen Juliana’s costume is very similar except that she wears the Sunday best costume of the village of Urk.  Her satin “kraplap” is decorated with an authentic Urk “harje,” or embroidered design over her heart. Her Sunday apron is made of the same black wool as her skirt and features a brocade insert and is hand shirred across the front.  A gold chain belt adds decoration to her Sunday attire. Queen Juliana also wears a black wool shawl edged in four-inch braid trim. Like the Court members, she wears the hat of an unmarried Urk woman and finishes her Sunday costume with a black velvet purse and three strand coral necklace.