The annual Orange City Tulip Festival Extravaganza was held Wednesday, March 20, at Prairie Winds Event Center. The event featured a luncheon and program during which the 2024 Tulip Queen and Court costumes were revealed, and the 2024 parade marshal was introduced.
PARADE MARSHAL
The Tulip Festival Steering Committee is pleased to honor The Tulip Festival Steering Committee is pleased to honor Mark Van Ommeren as the parade marshal for the 83rd annual event. Mark, a proud graduate of MOC-FV, and his wife Becky have been part of the Orange City community since 1980. They opened and operated the Audio Video Appliance store for 14 years before deciding to sell the business. Mark then transitioned to a new role at the How to Building Center in Sioux Center, where he dedicated his skills and expertise until his retirement in June of 2022.
Mark and Becky enjoy visiting and spending time with their three children and four grandchildren. Their son Philip lives in Council Bluffs, their daughter Rachel, her husband, and their four boys live in Yankton, SD, and their daughter Abby and her husband live in Monument, CO.
Mark’s involvement in the Tulip Festival spans nearly four decades, starting in 1983 when he first assisted with sound for the Night Show production of HMS Pinafore and the Dutch Dozen performances. He continued to run sound for these programs until 1996, a total of over 130 Dutch Dozen Shows. Since 1983, he has been a steadfast volunteer for our street sound crew, dedicating countless hours to tasks such as stringing microphone and speaker chords, repairing overhead wiring, and setting up and tearing down each day of the festival. Mark’s contributions extend beyond technical support. He is a familiar face as our lead volunteer for parade announcers, a role he has held for the past 20 years. We thank Mark for his dedicated service on the steering committee for the past 20 years!
