When Pigs Fly by The Kite Festival at Grand Haven
The annual Kite Festival at Grand Haven takes place THIS Saturday (May 16th, 2026) from 10am – 5pm and Sunday 11am – 5pm at the Grand Haven State Park beach! (Wind and weather permitting)
PS: Thanks to Michigan Native Photography for reminding me – for sure check out his awesome pics on Facebook!
Holland’s Tulip Time Festival takes place May 1-10, 2026. This iconic Michigan festival is nearly 100 years old, and I can’t tell you how delighted I am to learn that it was started by a biology teacher who was in love with the area’s natural beauty:
The idea of Tulip Time was introduced in 1927 at a Woman’s Literary Club meeting. Miss Lida Rogers, a biology teacher at Holland High School, suggested that Holland adopt the tulip as its flower because of its close ties to the Netherlands, and set aside a day for a festival. She titled her talk that day “Civic Beauty” and spoke at length about the area’s unique sand dunes, its fine trees, safe water supply, pure milk, and ample playgrounds. She advocated planting more trees, and because the Chamber of Commerce was seeking something appropriate, suggested planting tulips in every yard. She concluded with reading a poem, “Come Down to Holland in Tulip Time.”
In 1928, City Council, under Mayor Ernest C. Brooks, appropriated funds to purchase 100,000 tulip bulbs from the Netherlands. These bulbs were to be planted in city parks and other areas. Initial plans called for a “Tulip Day.” Bulbs were available to Holland residents at one cent a piece.
Thus, it was in 1929 that thousands of tulips bloomed, and Holland invited visitors to come during a week in May. Because of interest shown, it was decided to make Tulip Time an annual event with Mrs. Ethel Telling as the first chairman. Under Mrs. Telling’s leadership, the Festival was organized emphasizing Dutch costumes and wooden shoes. The revival of old Netherlands customs and traditions naturally followed, and visitors and townsfolk found the Festival both unique and picturesque.
Sean shared a hype video of his Tulip Time pics to our Michigan in Pictures group on Facebook & writes: “Tulip Time 2025 broke records with nearly a million(976,000) flower-chasers flooding Holland—up 30% from last year. 4.5 million tulips. $50 million in impact. One word: blooming! 
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Indeed!! Follow along with Sean at Tulip Time ’26 on his Facebook or Instagram.
More tulips & Tulip Time & on Michigan in Pictures and I have to say that this photo by Sean looks like it’s straight out of Oz!!
Yellow Tulips, photo by srab44_2000
Holland’s annual celebration of Dutch heritage and culture, the Tulip Time Festival, starts Friday May 4th and runs through May 11th. While last year’s crazy March heatwave had tulips blooming in mid-April, tulips have been in the slow lane in 2013 due to a cool spring. The good news according to meteorologist Bill Steffen is that a well-timed warmup should have tulips in near perfect bloom this year.
Check this photo out background bigtacular and see more in E. Benson’s Tulip Time Festival 05/2009 slideshow.
