Tulip Time is almost upon Pella, along with its annual Dutch festivities.
Visitors can experience Dutch culture and more than 300,000 blooming tulips during the three-day event, consisting of crafts and food vendors, parades and tours.
The Tulip Times Festival in Pella started in 1935 as an impromptu gathering of those with Dutch ancestry. From that meeting, a tradition blossomed.
When is Tulip Time in Pella?
Tulip Time in Pella is always the first Thursday, Friday, and Saturday in May. In 2026, the festival will be May 7-9.
It kicks off Thursday at 8 a.m. when local museums open. By 8:30 a.m., tours and the Dutch Master Antique Auto Display will begin. From then on, there is at least one event every hour until 8:30 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Sunday concludes with a thanksgiving and praise service. There is an hourly schedule available on the Pella Historical website.
Are tulips blooming in Pella yet?
For an up-to-date bloom status report, you can call Pella’s tulip hotline at 641-620-9463 and press “0.” You can also visit the city’s website for a bloom status map.
In an update published April 10, the city reported that a small number of beds were in bloom and or starting to show color.
Each year, the city plants a wide variety of tulips with different blooming schedules.
Where to find tulips in Pella, Iowa?
The city is covered with flower gardens displaying thousands of tulips for free. Multiple locations offer displays and fields of celebrated flowers.
Lucia Cheng is a service and trending reporter at the Des Moines Register. Contact her at lcheng@gannett.com or 515-284-8132.
This article originally appeared on Des Moines Register: Pella’s tulip festival is almost here. See 2026 dates, details.
Reporting by Lucia Cheng and Kate Kealey, Des Moines Register / Des Moines Register
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