By Hola Iowa
Pella, IA – Pella is getting ready for one of its biggest weekends of the year.
Pella Tulip Time 2026 will take place May 7-9, bringing three days of tulips, Dutch heritage, parades, food, music, local shopping and family activities to the city. The annual celebration is one of Iowa’s most colorful spring traditions, with more than 300,000 tulips planted throughout town for visitors to enjoy.
Tulip Time is always held the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday in May. In 2026, that means the festival will run Thursday, May 7, Friday, May 8, and Saturday, May 9.
The festival is hosted and organized by Pella Historical Museums, with support from the City of Pella, Visit Pella, local businesses, schools, churches, volunteers and community partners.
Three days of tulips and Dutch tradition in Pella
Tulip Time is built around the city’s Dutch heritage, but it is also very much a community weekend. Streets fill with visitors, downtown shops stay busy, food vendors set up around town and families come back year after year for the flowers, parades and traditions.
Many parts of the festival are free. Visitors can walk through town to see tulip beds, watch the parades from public viewing areas, visit the Dutch Market without paying admission and park along city streets at no cost where spaces are available.
Some activities do require tickets. Grandstand shows, museum tours and historic city wagon tours require admission. Tickets are available online or at the gate for festival activities, though they are not refundable or exchangeable.
Admission fees for paid exhibits and shows generally range from $5 to $25.
Tulips are planted to bloom during festival week
Pella’s tulips are intentionally planted with Tulip Time in mind. Gardeners use a wide variety of tulips with different bloom schedules to increase the chance that flowers will be at their best during the festival.
Still, the festival depends on weather. The bulbs are planted months ahead of time, usually in October and November, so the exact peak bloom can be hard to predict.
Visitors who want the latest bloom updates can call the tulip hotline at 641-620-9463 and press “0.” A bloom status map of City of Pella tulip beds is also available online, along with live video feeds of downtown Pella.
Parades, Dutch dinners and music are part of the schedule
Tulip Time features two parades each day. The afternoon parade begins at approximately 2:45 p.m., and the lighted evening parade begins at approximately 8:30 p.m.
The parades travel down Main Street, around Central Park and past the Pella Historical Village on Franklin Street.
The 2026 featured events also include Dutch Dinner Shows at the Graham Conference Center at Central College. The dinner shows are scheduled for May 7 and May 8 from 5 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
On May 9, the Pella Opera House will host “Tulip Time: Tiptoe Through the Tulips on the Barton Theatre Organ” from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
A full daily schedule is expected to be posted in early spring through official Tulip Time event channels.
Food options include street vendors, Dutch dinners and local restaurants
Food is a big part of Tulip Time weekend. Street vendors are set up throughout the festival area, and visitors can expect plenty of food booths during the three-day celebration.
Dutch Dinners offer a more structured festival meal, with Dutch-inspired food and Tulip Time entertainment. Reservations are required for those dinners.
Maria’s Tea Room is another popular Tulip Time experience, offering Pella treats and hot tea along with the story of Pella’s founding family. Seating for Maria’s Tea Room during Tulip Time is currently full, but visitors can contact [email protected] to be added to the waitlist.
Local restaurants will also be open during the festival, though crowds are expected and visitors may want to plan ahead.
Visitors can buy tulips and bulbs during the festival
For visitors who want to take part of Tulip Time home, tulip bulbs and fresh tulips will be available through local flower shops.
Tulip bulbs can be ordered from Barnswallow Flowers at the Scholte Church in the Historical Village and online; Thistles Flower Market in store, at roving carts and online; and The Timeless Tulip in store, at its cart in the Molengracht, at the Dutch Market and online.
Fresh tulips will be available from Thistles Flower Market, The Timeless Tulip and Pella Floral & Greenhouse.
Parking, restrooms and accessibility are part of the planning
Tulip Time brings large crowds to Pella, so visitors are encouraged to plan parking and transportation before arriving.
Parking along streets is free where available, and official parking and shuttle information is posted on Tulip Time’s “Getting Around” page.
Public restrooms are located at Pella Historical Museums, around the corner from the gift shop; at the Pella Public Library; and at the Pella Police Station. Portable restrooms will also be available near food booth areas on East 1st Street and Broadway Street, as well as at Scholte Gardens and the Dutch Market.
Accessible parking is available on a first-come, first-served basis at the Pella Public Library parking lot, with access from Liberty Street. A limited number of accessible grandstand seats are reserved for visitors with physical limitations, and a limited number of wheelchairs will be available for checkout at the first aid tent on the west side of Central Park.
Visitors should keep in mind that Tulip Time involves a lot of walking, including museum tours, gardens, shops, restaurants and food stands.
Dogs are allowed, but access is limited indoors
Visitors may bring dogs to the festival, but many shops, restaurants and museums are not expected to allow pets inside.
In general, most indoor spaces only allow service animals trained to perform tasks for a person with a disability. The Vermeer Windmill, Historical Village and Scholte House do not allow other dogs, pets or animals, including emotional support animals, therapy animals or companion animals.
A festival powered by volunteers and local partners
Tulip Time has been sponsored and organized by Pella Historical Museums since the second festival in 1936.
Today, the festival is planned by the Tulip Time Steering Committee, a group of eight community volunteers who serve four-year terms. Two committee members rotate off each year while new members are trained to take their place.
The planning continues year-round. The committee works closely with Pella Historical Museums staff, the City of Pella, Visit Pella, business sponsors, schools, churches and volunteers.
Visitors interested in bringing a tour group can contact the Tulip Time office at 641-628-4311 or [email protected]. Those who want to volunteer can check the festival’s volunteer page for opportunities and sign-up details.
A spring weekend that fills the city
For some families, Tulip Time is an annual tradition. For others, it is a first chance to see Pella in bloom.
The weekend can be as simple as walking through tulip beds and watching a parade, or as full as museum tours, Dutch dinners, shopping, music, historic sites and family photos downtown.
Pella Tulip Time 2026 will be held May 7-9 in Pella, Iowa. Visitors can check official festival pages for tickets, schedules, bloom updates, parking information, weather alerts and safety announcements before heading to town.
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