There will be no parades this spring at the 86th Tulip Time often considered a stable of the annual festival in early May.
Executive Director of Pella Historical Society and Museums Valerie Van Kooten says the final call was made after hours of difficult deliberation by the Tulip Time Steering Committee, and needed to be made this far in advance to allow planning for alternatives to be reasonable.
Van Kooten says one way organizers are still working to bring Dutch experiences throughout downtown Pella during the festival weekend May 6-8 is via impromptu “pop up” group performances: the 2021 Queen and Court; heritage groups like the Dutchesses, Dutch Family Singers, Strolling Strings and local school bands will be “roaming” and performing for smaller, more socially distant audiences.
Pella Tulip Festival 2021 Makes Changes to Reflect New Normal
We all hoped life would be back to normal and social distancing would be well over by May, but KCRG reports Pella Tulip Festival organizers are being a little more cautious.
The May 6-8 event will still feature the usual array of tulips for attendees enjoyment but it will also feature uncertainty regarding what s already been planned. As of now, some of the annual event s festivities have been called off.
The classic sampling of Dutch food and traditional costumes are still on, and organizers are working to plan pop-up musical performances. But the afternoon and evening parades that thousands enjoy as part of the festival are canceled for this year.