The Orange City Tulip Court: Nevaeh Sampson, Kinzie Van Kekerix, Queen Amanda Hulstein, Elizabeth King, and Katelyn Huizenga. (OCTF photo)
The 82nd annual Orange City Tulip Festival is underway. This year’s Tulip Festival Queen is Amanda Hulstein, a senior at MOC/Floyd Valley High School.
She says the excitement of being named Tulip Queen has been building since she was crowned last November. “Just through the day I was very excited and it just brought me memories from other tulip festivals that I’ve been involved in. And when we went back out on stage to find out who the Queen was, I was a little nervous but I was always so smiley. And then when Mayor de Haan read my name, I was almost in shock because I didn’t know that it would actually be me,” she says.
Hulstein rode the queen’s float Thursday afternoon as things got underway and says she learned something about the event as it took off. “One thing that I realized that many people don’t notice is all of the people that work behind the scenes and work year round to make these three days in may happen it’s just crazy how many people are involved and how much they do for our town,” Hulstein says.
Hulstein offers advice for people attending the Orange City Tulip Festival. “Get outside, get involved with anything that you can,” she says. “When the Dutch dancers asked for you to be pulled out into the crowd, definitely go out there. Make sure you get to all the different events like the Dutch dozen. Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, which is the night show this year. See all the tulips take lots of pictures and enjoy.”
Hulstein plans to attend Iowa State University when after graduation. The Orange City Tulip Festival runs through Saturday. Go to octulipfestival.com to see the full schedule of events.
(By John Sleggers, KLEM, Le Mars)