Visiting Tulip Time Festival in Holland, MI? Officials Warn Peak Bloom Is Here

The annual festival celebrating Dutch heritage runs May 4-12, 2024.

Each year visitors from all over the globe travel to Holland, MI to view over 6 million tulips in bloom. The 8-day festival has received numerous accolades including Best Flower Festival, America’s Best Small Town Festival, Tulip Festival of the Year 2017 & 2018, among others.

A quick word to the wise: do not wait until the last weekend to check out the tulips. According to Tulip Time officials who keep a close watch on the status of the bulbs, peak bloom is happening right now!

On the official Tulip Time Festival Facebook page officials shared,

TULIP UPDATE...The tulips are at PEAK bloom right now showing as much color as they'll get through the spring. Thankfully, the cooler temperatures at night will give the tulips a long life and we should continue to see the tulips at this level through the beginning of the festival.

The keyword there being "beginning"; if you wait until the last weekend of the festival you might miss the best and brightest colors.

I was just in Holland over the weekend for a birthday party, but of course I had to make a quick stop by Centennial Park to check in on the flowers! As to be expected the park was filled with plenty of prom-goers, recent grads, and cute couples taking full advantage of the floral photo op.

Tulip Time Tips:

Tulip Time is Holland, Michigan; it's their pride and joy!

As I said visitors come from far and away to see the flowers, the authentic Dutch windmill De Zwaan, and celebrate all things Dutch, so if you've never been to the festival here's a word to the wise:

• Wear comfortable shoes: You'll be doing a lot of walking across downtown Holland
• Bring sunscreen/hat/sunglasses: the last time I went to Tulip Time it was sunny and 80 degrees-- I got a sunburn!
• Bring extra charging devices: You'll be taking lots of pictures and looking up festival maps and interactive features that could drain your battery.
• Arrive early: especially on parade days where there are lots of detours and roads blocked off.
• Have a plan: the festival stretches across downtown Holland and beyond so make sure you know which events you want to attend and where they're located.

Visiting Tulip Time in Holland should be on every Michiganders bucket list. It's worth the trek, the time, and the experience-- just make sure to leave plenty of time to explore!