2020 Parade Grand Marshals
Despite the cancellation of the 2020 festival, we still want to pay tribute to the wonderful parade Grand Marshals selected for this year.
Metal Flow Volksparade
Grand Marshal: Alumni Dutch Dance Directors 50th Anniversary
Tulip Time celebrates 50 Years of Alumni Dutch Dance and have invited current and previous Alumni Dutch Dance Directors as Grand Marshal for Wednesday’s Metal Flow Volksparade. Anne Mulder, Pat Vanderschel, Elizabeth TerHaar and Nicole Prins will have the honor of the Grand Marshal.
In 1969, a call went out to dancers that had graduated from high school between 1953 and 1968, to gauge interest in dancing again during the festival. More than 50 dancers responded and showed up for the first practice in early April. In 1970, this group of dancers officially became the Alumni Dutch Dance program under the direction of Ann Mulder. The following year, 1971, Elizabeth TerHaar led the program on a volunteer basis. Pat Vanderschel soon joined Elizabeth in leading the Alumni program and after 45 years, both retired from leading this great tradition. Nicole Prins is the current Alumni Dutch Dance Director, as well as the Holland High School Dutch Dance Director.
Dutch Dance is the favorite event for tourists and locals alike, as well as a strong family tradition to many.
Yanfeng/Clairos Kinderparade
Grand Marshals: Holland Rotary
Celebrating 100 Years – Holland Rotary will be honored as the Grand Marshal of the Yangfeng/Clairos Kinderparade. The local club has invested in 100 years of Service to local schools, especially special education departments and the community. For over 40 years they have brought international exchange students to experience Holland, Holland Christian and West Ottawa High Schools and sent local students for a year abroad. Their impact on the greater Holland area can be seen by numerous projects including the building and placing of bench’s along the walking paths at Windmill Island Gardens, Little Bookhouses – 25 were placed in Holland communities in 2019 in collaboration with Herrick Public Library, Adopt-A-Highway Cleanup, and the creation of Holland Rotary Leaders for the 21st Century seventh grade two day leadership conference held at Hope College the last 20 years.
During Tulip Time the Holland Rotary can be found as Grandstand Greeters with the After-Hours Rotary Club and Zeeland Rotary Club greeting guests during the parades.
Quality Car Wash Muziekparade
Grand Marshal: The Holland American Legion Band celebrating 100 years
Celebrating 100 Years – the Holland American Legion Band is honored as the Grand Marshal in this year’s Muziekparade. In 1920, when the Holland American Legion Band was established, John Van Vyven was named the director. Through the years the band has performed throughout the United States and Europe. As a part of the 65th Anniversary of D-Day in 2009 they performed in Normandy, France and the Netherlands. In 2011, they performed at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii as part of the 70th Anniversary of the Japanese attack there in 1941. They are the longest performing American Legion band in the country.
In 2016 the Legion Band welcomed Scott Vanden Berg as its new director. Scott had played with the American Legion Band for several summers and joined the trumpet section on the band’s 2014 European tour. With over 20 years in music education, Scott also serves as the director of instrumental music at Holland Christian High School since 2006.
Your support will help bring Tulip Time back in 2021! We do hope you consider donating to our GoFundMe to help our nonprofit rebuild, so we can all enjoy the festival together again next year. Visit https://charity.gofundme.com/tuliptime