The Dutch Circus

According to my Husband, there is no such thing as "Tulip Festival" in our home town of Orange City, Iowa. Instead, it is considered "The Dutch Circus". Brad and I have spent tons of hours wandering and meandering through the Tulips, Thousands and Thousands of people, across streets and around floats during this festival. You may wonder why we consider this grand event a circus? Well let me explain. Orange City has a steady population of 6,000 people. For the week of Tulip Festival, nearly 100,000 visitors from across the country come to this grandiose event. Carnival, Dutch Food, Art Show, Parades, Rides on Floats, Flowers, Windmills, People, Grade Schoolers Dutch Dancing, Street Scrubbing, and the wonderful Fragrance of unhealthy, yet delicious, food.

I did a little bit of research on the meanings behind a tulip. Tulips symbolize eternal life and are a signature of spring. Tulips are one of the first flowers to bloom each year. Different colors symbolize for different meanings:
Red = "believe me" as a declaration of true love
Variety = "You have beautiful eyes."
Yellow = "There's sunshine in your smile!"
Cream = "I will love you forever"
White = Symbol of Heaven, newness, and purity.
Purple = Royalty
Pink = Affection and Caring
Orange = Energy, Enthusiasm, Desire, and Passion

A few of my favorite things about this event:

#1: Funnel Cakes: Strings of fried dough smothered in powdered sugar.

#2 Fudge Puppies: a wad of dough fried to a crisp then smothered with fudge and whipped cream.

#3 Poffertjes: Miniature pancakes smothered, yet again, in powdered sugar.

#4 The Zipper: The wildest ride I have been on in my entire life! Such a Thrill!

So if your looking for a good way to spend this coming weekend, head on over to Orange City, Iowa for a fun filled break from reality. There's lots to do!