Latest news with #TulipTime
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Sunny streak coming to an end
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — Sunshine dominated across West Michigan this past weekend, which was ideal for Tulip Time, the Amway River Bank Run and Mother's Day. With abundant sunshine this past weekend, it was likely the sunniest since March 8 to 9, where 90% sunshine was recorded. The first weekend in May and all weekends in April brought rain showers and mostly cloudy conditions. The official percentage of sunshine this past weekend was not recorded. As of May 1, the National Weather Service in Grand Rapids stopped collecting sunshine data. The Grand Rapids office was only one of the few that continued to track daily minutes of sunshine after it stopped becoming a requirement in 2009. Going forward, it will be unclear how the sunshine stacks up day to day. Looking at last year, May through July saw a mix of clouds and sunshine. May averaged 56% sunshine while June was slightly cloudier with 53% sunshine. Soak up the sunshine on Monday, though. The week ahead will be significantly more active with rain chances returning Monday night and carrying through Friday. A few thunderstorms may develop in the mix, but there is no severe threat for the first half of the week. If a strong storm were to develop, it would likely be on Thursday night into Friday morning. Sign up for the Storm Team 8 daily forecast newsletter Stay with Storm Team 8 for the latest. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Volksparade wraps up Tulip Time with a new route
HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — On a picture-perfect day in downtown Holland, tradition danced through the streets, just as it has for generations. Holland's Tulip Time is wrapping up its final weekend with the volksparade. While the clogs and costumes were familiar, the route was a little bit different. It was shorter. Organizers shortened the parade route by nearly a mile, citing safety as a top priority. The decision comes amid national concerns about vehicle attacks on crowds. For additional security measures, Holland officials added concrete barriers around pedestrian areas. Still, the heart of the tradition remained intact. Jessica Reeves, a senior at Holland High School, has been a Dutch dancer for the past four years, a tradition she shares with her mother. But this year, for the first time, she spent the parade on the sidelines, seeing it from a new perspective. 'To be able to be a part of it and to be able to watch it and witness it in real life is something most people don't get to see,' Reeves said. 'Tulip Time has been the thing that helps me. It makes me who I am.' For Reeves, the change in the route was bittersweet. Although it gave the Dutch dancers feet some relief, it changed a long standing tradition. 'It's sad because a lot of people grew up with that tradition of the parade going all the way down to Holland High School,' she said. 'It can hurt a lot of people, especially me. In my four years of dancing, I was always so used to the parade going all the way out and then my final year, it shortened.' Reeves noted the crowds felt larger than she has ever seen this year, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. 'This crowd is a lot bigger than anything I've seen before,' Reeves said. 'To see Tulip Time grow back to what it used to be when my mom was a dancer, It has not only made me feel good, but it has made my mom feel good.' Although the amount of attendees is unclear, police said attendance appeared typical for a parade weekend but that the shorter route created more density along the streets. 'As long as they just keep having it, I'll be okay with that,' said Karen Iehl, a lifelong Tulip Time attendee, who estimates she's attended more than 50 Tulip Time parades. 'I love to see all the people come out and celebrate heritage here in Holland, Michigan.' Despite the adjustment, the weekend remained a vibrant display of music, culture and community, with thousands lining the streets to cheer for dancers, bands, floats and, of course, tulips. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Mayor: Tulip Time brings unique charm to Holland
HOLLAND, Mich. (WOOD) — As Holland prepares for its 96th Tulip Time Festival, Mayor Nathan Bocks, who has also served as a festival tour guide for more than three decades, says the city's century-old tradition continues to play a vital role in shaping both community identity and local business. The annual celebration draws an estimated 600,000 visitors and generates a $50 million economic impact, according to Bocks. He noted the city invests $125,000 each year to purchase and plant tulip bulbs — a cost he views as a valuable return for the community. 'Tulip Time not only has the flowers,' Bocks said. 'We have something for everybody.' This year's festivities feature 875 volunteer Dutch Dancers, parades, shows, a carnival, and activities aimed at families with young children — a group Bocks said the city continues to engage through targeted outreach. Volksparade at Tulip Time getting shorter route As the event grows, so does the emphasis on safety and logistics. Bocks praised the city's police and public works departments for their efforts in crowd and traffic control, especially during weekday parades. 'We've been doing this for 96 years,' Bocks said. 'Our folks are the best in the world at making sure things run smoothly.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
03-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Dutch Ambassador visits Pella Tulip Time
PELLA, Iowa– Tulip Time this year had a very special guest visiting the city. Birgitta Tazelaar is the Ambassador from the Kingdom of the Netherlands to the United States of America. She is in the middle of a four year term working in the U.S. 'I represent just the kingdom of the Netherlands and the kingdom of the Netherlands consists of four countries actually, the Netherlands and then three countries in the Caribbean, Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten,' said Tazelaar The Dutch Ambassador also visited Pella last summer. NCAA, Iowa State negotiate sports betting discipline for 5 football support staffers 'It's really a wonderful feeling that on the one hand you go back more than 150 years because that's when their ancestors came and you can see it in the costumes that they're wearing,' said Tazelaar. 'It is also a feeling of connecting, and when I see people here they look Dutch to me and they still have this feeling of being Dutch, so it's a great people to people experience.' The Ambassador is hoping to strengthen ties between the Netherlands and the United States. 'The message I want to say to the people of Iowa is stay connected to the world, stay connected to Europe and Netherlands,' said Tazelaar. 'We are great partners, we invest in each others' countries we are members of the same security alliance and support to keep it that way because it's a winning formula for all of us.' Tazelaar said she has enjoyed her visit to Tulip Time. 'I think the hospitality, generosity, and the way people are receiving us, very open and friendly and enthusiastic exchange of how we view things in the world.' Iowa News: Dutch Ambassador visits Pella Tulip Time NCAA, Iowa State negotiate sports betting discipline for 5 football support staffers Majority of Granger EMS staffers resign after chief's termination Iowa man charged in deadly Appanoose County shooting WHO 13 Farm Report: Friday, May 2 Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Tulip Time forecast: Comfortably cool spring weather, shower chances
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) — The 96th annual Tulip Time Festival will open in Holland Friday with a chance of showers, but the weekend overall appears to bring pleasant springtime weather to check out the fresh blooms. Weather conditions in the lead-up to the festival have been better to the bulbs than in 2024, when an early onset of warm temperatures had . Friday presents a chance of passing morning showers followed by late-day clearing. It will also be the coolest day of the weekend with afternoon highs in the middle to upper 50s. Moving forward, we should have a bit more warmth work in as highs lift near 60 degrees Saturday and into the lower 60s Sunday afternoon. There will also be some more sunshine helping to light up the flower beds with those vibrant springtime colors. Download the free Storm Team 8 weather app While Sunday will be the warmest day of the weekend by a small margin, the trade-off will be a breezy northeast wind with gusts hovering near 25 mph, so it may not feel quite as pleasant. There's also a chance of rain returning as we step into the evening hours. Tulip Time goes through Sunday, May 11. Stay with Storm Team 8 to help you plan out the best time to head to Holland. *Correction: A previous version of this article misstated how many years the festival has been held. We regret the error, which has been corrected. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
