Staff Spotlight: Tulip Time Festival in Pella, IA

Most of the time when people mention they're traveling to Iowa people question "why?". No, it's not the most popular state, but hidden in each state of our county is a gem and Iowa's is the small Dutch town of Pella. 

Pella is located right outside of Des Moines, IA that Hollanders claimed as their new home in 1847. They named it Pella, otherwise meaning "city of refuge". This Dutch community has grown since it was first founded and it still holds on to its founding roots of traditions, food, customs and more. One of the most popular traditions that they celebrate like their European ancestors is the famed Tulip Time Festival. When I heard about the Festival (and it only being 4 hours away from St. Louis) I knew I had to go and I'm so glad I did! 

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​​When my husband and I arrived in Pella we were absolutely blown away - when they say "tulip" festival they MEAN tulip festival! We were greeted by THOUSANDS of tulips beautifully planted all over the city with the most vibrant colors I've ever seen in flowers. The orange tulips below were almost as tall as my waist - I had no idea they even grew to be that tall!

As we walked around this city we couldn't believe how much it actually felt like we could be in Europe. All of the buildings in the city had similar architecture to that of the Netherlands with bricks, towers, colorful shutters and of course, windmills! Pella actually has an authentic windmill that was built in Hoogmade, the Netherlands, and was de-assembled and then re-assembled in Pella in 2002.  Visitors are able to take a tour and go up the windmill however we were unable to during our visit (we'll save it for next time!). 
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My husband Brian and I in front of the Vermeer Windmill

In addition to the Vermeer Windmill, Pella also created an area similar to Amsterdam with a river following through the middle of a few small shops and right in front of the Royal Amsterdam Hotel. We had hoped to stay at this unique hotel (which you can somewhat see behind my husband and I in the picture above) however it was all sold out. 

The streets were alive with dancing in wooden shoes, Dutch food trucks, beautiful Dutch clothing, presentations and parades. I honestly didn't anticipate for there to be as many people at this small festival, but it turns out Pella usually has around 150,000 visitors for the Tulip Time Festival each year.  It made it fun and exciting to be around so many people who were interested in learning about and celebrating a different culture. 
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Like my new shoes?

Although Brian's face doesn't say it, he really enjoyed his Dutch Taco!

Pella is a destination I fully plan to visit again with my family. It offers something fun and unique to a large audience and it's great for a quick weekend getaway. This town also has local wineries and a lake for even more activities outside of the Festival. If you're interested in visiting the next Tulip Time Festival in Pella then mark your calendar for the first weekend of May in 2019 - we'll see you there! 
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To book your Tulip Time Festival vacation contact the staff at Brentwood Travel today! Call us at 314-439-5700!