Is there a better way to celebrate spring than a Tulip Festival – especially when locals don’t have to travel all the way to Ottawa or Michigan for it?
Mapleton Township has held a Tulip Festival in the past, and is bringing it back, partly to celebrate the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Holland in the Second World War.
But there will be lots more.
A Tulip Queen competition starts the festival on May 14. It is open to young women from Mapleton, aged 16 to 21. This looks great on a resume and is a lot of fun.
Each contestant should have a sponsor; it could be a business or service club or maybe a group that she is part of. The sponsor pays the contestant’s nominal entry fee, which covers costs.
The Tulip Queen will ride in the parade and officially open the festival. If anyone would like to register or wants more information, call 519-639-2894.
A parade through downtown Drayton begins at 11am on May 15 and ends at the arena, where the festival also begins. Some exciting entries include a 1902 steam locomotive, several bands and a miniature calliope.
There will be prizes for floats and costumes. This is the time to plan your entry. A nice spring day is a great opportunity for a church, school, service club or local business to advertise and demonstrate community spirit. Decorate a bicycle, ride a horse, wear a costume; whatever you want. To register for the parade, contact Patty Labadie at 1-800-661-1196 ext. 1454 or plabadie@hotmail.com.
A craft show and sale begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 15 at the Drayton PMD Arena. It features a variety of crafters and artisans from southwestern Ontario, and promises to have something for all tastes, a great place to get something for the garden.
There is a garden tour, featuring five stops in Drayton and the surrounding area, which also begins at 10 a.m. Advance tickets can be purchased at Blooming Dales in Drayton. The tour includes four interesting local gardens and one stop at Studio Factor, Drayton’s art studio, for a display of tulip-themed art and a one-day-only tea room.
A large variety of vendors will offer Dutch and Canadian food, as well as tulips and giftware. This is a chance to try croquettes, boerenkool, kniepertjes or
frikadellen, or stick with favourites like beef on a bun or sausage. There will be lots of baking and other sweet treats, plus a beer garden outside.
Live entertainment will be available all day, from Drayton Heights and Community Christian School, plus the Swiss Farmers Band and Dutch folk musician Klaas Von Graft. There will be a special ceremony at 1 p.m. with Legion participation to commemorate the 65th anniversary of the liberation of Holland.
A special feature is a huge model railroad display from Fred and Jenny Aldred of Penetanguishene. Their 60-foot by 24-foot garden-scale railway promises to be a fascinating draw for young and old.
Children can participate in a colouring contest, with pictures available at Studio Factor and local schools.
The "Everything’s Coming Up Tulips" flower arranging contest is open to anyone – as long as the arrangement includes tulips, the rest is up to the designer. Bring arrangements to the arena by 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 15.
For more information and admission prices, call Kym Drinkwater at 519-638-3313 ext. 21 or Marlene Ottens at 519-638-2894, or go to www.mapleton.ca and click on "Tulip Festival".
