PELLA, Iowa — Pella's iconic Tulip Time Festival will be wowing visitors once again with its thousands of blooming flowers and authentic Dutch feel.
The festival will take place from Thursday, May 2-Saturday, May 4 this year. With a picturesque windmill, fields of flowers and historic architecture serving as the event's backdrop, the three-day celebration of Dutch culture is sure to keep attendees entranced.
Here's what to expect at this year's festival.
Pella, Iowa: Tulip Time tickets
The Tulip Time Festival is completely free to attend.
But there are tours and excursions available that can run you up to $20 per adult and $15 per child.
If you want to take a tour around the city on a wagon, explore the windmill and village in-depth or take a walk through the Pella Historical Society and Museum, you can buy tickets online.
2024 Tulip Time Festival event schedule
The event runs from Thursday, May 2 to Saturday, May 4.
Activities and performances change each day, but the historic town's celebration will be in full swing from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days.
For a full list of pop-up performances as well as the nightly Feesthouden show's schedule, check out the full Tulip Time Schedule.
A full schedule of events and locations is available on Pella's Tulip Time website.
When you've had enough of stopping to smell the flowers, you can follow your nose to some of the many food stalls and restaurants serving up traditional grub and pastries. More authentic fare like Dutch letters and uitsmijer are joined by familiar fair food, including walking tacos, lemonade shakeups, hot dogs and much more.
There are also craft booths, twice-daily parades featuring the renowned Pella Dutch Marching Band and plenty of other free entertainment options to check out.
Printable Tulip Time schedule
Tulip Time parking and shuttles
There is limited parking available in downtown Pella, and they fill up pretty quickly. If you're willing to spend a bit of cash, here's where to park.
Paid lots, with shuttle costs factored in:
- 1417 Washington Street; Delta Building A is $10 per vehicle, available Friday and Saturday
- 300 Eagle Lane; Pella Christian High School is $10 per vehicle, available Saturday only
First-come, first-served basis parking lots:
- Open Bible Church; 837 Washington Street is $15 per day
- Calvary Church; 408 Maple Street is free and has a downtown shuttle
- First Reformed Church; 605 Broadway Street is $15 per day
- Connect Church; 914 Liberty Street is $5 per day
For those needing handicapped spaces, the Pella Public Library parking lot has limited spaces available.
More information on road closures and non-parking shuttles is available here.
Forecast for May 2-4
The Local 5 Weather team forecasts a stormy start to the festival, with showers expected into Thursday morning. Friday will be full of sunshine, but the on-again-off-again rain will hit again on Saturday.
Temperatures overall will stay between 60s and 70s, which is typical of early May.
Make sure to check out Local 5's most up-to-date forecast and interactive radar before you head out.