Everything you wanted to know about the Tulip Festival (but were afraid to ask)

"I was 12 years old and had become accustomed to living in a much larger community," he remembered. "It took time adjusting to a slower paced life in Northwest Iowa."

First, it meant transferring to a school where everyone knew one another. Secondly, Reynolds had to change his diet from the chiles native to New Mexico to the much milder cuisine associated with the Netherlands. 

"I discovered it was actually fun knowing everybody in town," he explained. "In addition, I discovered bratwurst was really delicious."

As office manager for the Orange City Chamber of Commerce, Reynolds will often field phone calls from tourists wanting to know more about the community's annual Tulip Festival.

"Since the Tulip Festival brings in more than 100,000 people, it generates a lot of interest," he said. "Some of the questions are common while others are just funny."

So it shouldn't come as much of a surprise that people always pepper Reynolds with questions about tulips.

Will the Tulip Festival be cancelled if the tulips aren't in bloom?

"That's question I hear every year," Reynolds said. "The Tulip Festival is held on the third weekend of May and, no, it won't be cancelled due to the condition of the tulips."

A variety of early, mid and later-blooming tulips are planted in Orange City and organizers do their best to have the colorful flowers -- a symbol of prosperity in the Netherlands -- during the three-day festival.

"The majority of the tulips should be blooming in mid-May but weather plays a big role," Reynolds said. "No matter the condition of the flower, this year's Tulip Festival will be taking place May 18 - 20."

Is Orange City the cleanest place in the world?

"The annual street scrubbing seems to be a visual image people have about the Tulip Festival," Reynolds said. "Carrying on a Dutch tradition, our street inspectors check the streets for cleanliness in anticipation of the Tulip Queen's arrival. Boys and men throw buckets of water while girls and ladies follow with brooms, ensuring that everything is spotless for our Queen and her Royal Court."

"I don't know if Orange City qualifies as the cleanest community in the world," he admitted. "I do know that our city crews and trucks do a great job keeping things looking good, year-round."

OK, what's the deal with wooden shoes? 

"Yeah, they don't look very comfortable, do they?" Reynolds said. "But in the lowlands of Holland, they're incredibly functional. Due to their design, wooden shoes would keep the feet of farmers dry in soggy soil. Traditional leather shoes or boots just wouldn't withstand the muddy fields of the Netherlands." 

Want to buy Orange City's own design of wooden shoes? They are available at the Straat Winkle stand during the Tulip Festival and at the Tulip Festival office at 509 Eighth St. S.E. throughout the year.