I'm going to start with the back of the head. I'm going to start with the back of the head. I'm going to start with the back of the head. I'm going to start with the back of the head. I'm going to start with the back of the head. I'm going to start with the Gone. Testing can everyone hear me? Okay. Good evening I'm Colby Vandebrake and this is my husband Tony and we are the chairs of the 2024 tulip festival On behalf of the steering committee. We just want to thank you guys for attending the Queen's pageant this evening This has been a very exciting day for these five young women and it's so important for them to have their families Their friends their community here to support them As we begin our festivities this evening, would you join me in prayer? Heavenly Father, as we begin our preparations and look ahead to next year's festival that is now just six short months away, we ask your hand of guidance and blessing both on our planning and on the lives of the five candidates we have before us tonight. We thank you for the unique gifts and talents and for the multitude of ways each have positively impacted our community through past years of festival. on the 2024 Queen, we ask that you prepare each of these women for the roles they are soon to play as ambassadors of our town and heritage and as molded images of Christ to each and every visitor that they encounter during their reign. We ask all these things in your holy and precious name. Amen. We'd like to share a couple of things with you this evening. First of all, we'd like to thank the members of our Queens Committee for all their work throughout the entire year. The women on this committee make sure every detail involving the Queen and her court is addressed properly. Like so many of our Tula Festival committees, as soon as one festival is over, work begins on details for the next festival. There is no way we can ever thank them enough for all that they do. Since some of them are in the busy backstage tonight, please take a moment to look in your program and note who they are. Being a member of the TULIP Festival Court is exciting and rewarding, but also very demanding. From the day these young women are selected to the TULIP Court in September, a great deal is required of them. After the first of the year, they travel representing our community and promoting the TULIP Festival, all while juggling school, extracurricular activities, church commitments, and family life. In an effort to show our appreciation for all they do, the TULIP Festival Steering Committee will again this year present a scholarship to each The Tulip Court. Our Tulip Queen is awarded a $750 scholarship and court members are granted a $500 scholarship to use in the academic year following their reign. In addition, Northwestern College and Dorton University will match the scholarships if they choose to attend either of those two institutions. We would like to thank both of our local schools for supporting our young women in this way. Again, we just want to say thank you for coming and we hope you enjoy the rest of this evening's event. We are so grateful that you are here to get to know the five young ladies who have been chosen to represent this community for the 2024 Tulip Festival. My name is Juliana Teen, now Stainhook, and it is my pleasure to be one of your hosts for the evening. I had the privilege of serving as Orange City's Tulip Festival Queen in 2018. I now work as an ICU nurse currently living in West Michigan with my husband, Cameron. I have so many fond memories of this evening six years ago and the year I had while being an ambassador for this wonderfully unique community. I am thankful for the opportunity that Orange City gave me and my court members to represent this beautiful town. I am confident that each of these girls will learn something valuable during this year and take it with them wherever they may go. To this day, I am blown away by the amount of work that goes into the Tulip Festival. And if it weren't for my experience as Tulip Queen, I would have never truly known that. The amount of volunteers and selfless people who pour into our community to ensure our authentic Dutch traditions carry on is something I hope never goes unnoticed. Now, it's time to go. The same sentiments, my co-host for the evening, the 2023 Tulip Queen, Ms. Amanda Halstein. Thank you and good evening. I am incredibly grateful to be here. I can hardly believe that a year ago, the 2023 Tulip Court and I were here getting ready to do what these five ladies have prepared for. The five young ladies we will soon introduce to you have spent many hours preparing presentations and rehearsing for tonight. Earlier this afternoon, they met with our three judges to enjoy an afternoon of getting to know each other. Through casual conversations and impromptu questions, the girls were able to share more about themselves, their community and school involvements, and what they hope to learn from this experience. Now it is time to introduce you to the 2024 Tulip Queen candidates. I'm Rebecca Boersma and these are my parents. Life with my two siblings Andrew and Greta. I am a senior at MOC Floyd Valley High School where I'm involved in speech, theater, soccer, band, orchestra, jazz band, choir, National Honor Society and had the privilege of attending Iowa Girls State this past summer. When I'm not involved in any of my school activities, you can see me working at Fairway, babysitting or volunteering at First Reformed Church. When I do get a spare moment of free time, I enjoy reading a good book, baking delicious treats or spending time with my family and friends. Hello, my name is Amelia Kalsbeek, but most of you guys know me as Mia. These are my parents, Dean and Tina Kalsbeek, and I have two siblings out in the audience somewhere, Avery and Ben. I'm a senior at MOC Floyd Valley and I'm involved in NHS, student council, soccer, and large group speech. In my free time, I enjoy hanging out with friends, watching movies, and working at Scooters. If you're curious, my favorite drink at Scooters is the ice sugar cookie latte with vanilla coleslaw on the top. Good evening, my name is Avery Kelch. My parents are Reese and Christy Kelch. I have two older brothers. Brandon and his family live in Lake Park and Jacob lives in Des Moines. As a senior at MOC Floyd Valley, I participate in band, orchestra, track, volleyball, large group speech, student council, and had the opportunity to attend and represent Orange City at the 2023 session of Iowa Girls State. In my free time, I enjoy spending time with family and friends, traveling, and participating in youth group activities at First Reformed Church, as well as helping with Promise Kids on Sunday. Hello, I am Kylie Kurtz and these are my parents, Vince and Lori Kurtz. I have two sisters, Mackenzie and Katie. I am a senior at MOC Floyd Valley where I am involved in band, orchestra, National Honor Society, and our Leader in Me Lighthouse team. Outside of school, I enjoy working at Nederlanders Grill as a waitress, attending youth group, and spending time with my family and friends. Hello, my name is Ella Potma and this is my mom, Gina Potma, and my dad, Joe Potma. I enjoy spending time with family and friends and I attend Unity Christian High School where I'm involved in FFA and sports, including... Softball, volleyball, basketball, track, and soccer. All right. We've now had a chance to meet each of the candidates, but we're excited to get to know them a little better. They've each submitted answers to a fun questionnaire covering a vast array of topics, and Amanda and I will use those answers to chat with each candidate. First up is Ms. Avery. Avery, the last two summers you worked at Grascoq in Sault Centre. Can you share with us what your job entailed and one lesson you learned while working there? So when I was working at Grow Shop this summer, I was doing light manufacturing work, something that really I never thought I would do. It was cool to get out of my comfort zone. I worked at a grocery store right before that. So that was two very different things. So I really enjoyed being able to talk with others that do that every day, and learn a little bit more about the job that I got to do during the summer. Kylie, I read that your favorite website is Target. Black Friday shopping is just around the corner. If you could have any pick of... That's a good question. I really do enjoy shopping at Target. If I had to choose three things, I would probably... I would shop first for clothes, then I would probably go look for hair product. Rebecca, your future plans include going to a university for nursing with hopes of becoming a NICU or pediatric nurse. What experiences have you had so far that led you to desire a career in the medical field? I've always found like how the way that the human body works is very interesting to me, and I've always found that I'm very curious to learn more about it. And I think combining that with my passion for working with kids through babysitting and nannying in past experiences has really led me to kind of make a decision. Ella, you share with us that your favorite author is Sadie Robertson, and she wrote your favorite book, Live. Can you share with us one thing that you've learned from following Sadie and reading her books? Yeah, one thing I've learned from Sadie Robertson is that it's just you need to be yourself and that no one else can define who you are. And you just have to be who you are and God loves you and that you just have to be your own person. Amelia, one of your favorite quotes is, don't you worry your pretty little mind, people throw rocks at things that shine by Taylor Swift. Can you explain to us what she might mean by that quote and why it's one of your favorites? So yeah, the background is it's one of my favorite songs from Taylor Swift's music, and the quote just really means a lot to me because It's basically just saying to shine your light and be who you are and whatever. Yeah, to not be nervous. Love it. Avery, one of your hobbies includes supporting Scooter's Coffee. Can you share with us your go-to order and what makes it your favorite? So obviously I love this activity a lot more than my parents. Sorry, what was the last part of the question? Sorry. No, you're good. Can you share with us your go-to order and what makes it your favorite? It changes like every week. So my most recent order has been a iced white rose and it's white chocolate and raspberry. It's so good with raspberry cold foam. Just like how it tastes. Kylie, it sounds like you stay very busy with all of your school activities, one of them being in the large group speech program. Share with us one of your favorite memories from being a part of that program. Yeah, I think large group speech just definitely pushed me out of my comfort zone a lot, especially freshman and sophomore year. I was part of the core reading and I think it just really helped me grow as a speaker and just as a person. Rebecca, you shared with us that you like to bake. What is one necessary baked good that must be at the table for Thanksgiving dinner? I don't know about Thanksgiving dinner, but like one of my favorite things to make is cinnamon rolls, and I've actually perfected my recipe so So maybe like a Thanksgiving brunch type of situation Or pray those into Thanksgiving dinner is by my grandma's mini sticky buns, which is basically just a cinnamon roll just mini so those And Ella, so you work at Woutstra's Meat Market, which serves as a popular spot to eat during Tool Festival. What is one thing you've learned while working at Woutstra's and your favorite meal to get there? One thing I've learned is that you just have to work with everyone around you. what customers throw at you. You just gotta go with it and embrace it. And one meal that is my favorite at Wausau's would definitely be the apple dutch gouda brat that they serve. Amelia, one of your favorite foods is ice cream. In your opinion, what is the best flavor and topping combination? Okay, so I would definitely add that I love Culver's ice cream, so I would definitely get like their vanilla with cookie dough, but if I could get cookie dough with strawberries on the top, oh. Best combination. That was super fun. Thank you, ladies. We'll let you head back to get ready for your individual presentations. Up next, our five candidates will give their individual presentations. Before we hear each young lady, we get to introduce our judges. All right, our first judge is Ms. Luann Christensen. After completing studies in broadcasting, Luann worked for a radio station in the Twin Cities before... You can join me right up here. Oh, okay. Before she relocated to Sioux Falls to work for Life 96.5. As an on-air host, see her, but loves the listener engagement part of her role that provides great opportunities to meet face-to-face. She is delighted to return as a judge for a second time, thank you, and is grateful for the invitation from the Queens Committee to spend the day in Orange City. Please welcome Ms. Luann Christensen. We're really thankful that you could join us again and we just have a few questions for you. What were you most looking forward to in coming back to judge this year's pageant? Well honestly I think just any reason I can come to Orange City is just a pleasure. I speak for all of those that I work with at Life 96.5 that we just love coming to Northwest Iowa. The smiles, the warm welcome, your faith here, the community, it just makes it a pleasure to come for any reason at all. But to come for this event, very, very special. You have five beautiful candidates here tonight, and that means, honestly, that there's... Five right choices. I mean, these ladies are spectacular. And so I'm so thankful to be here and to be a part of it and excited to see what happens tonight. Me too. How would you counsel these five women on the importance of community involvement while they participate in their high school activities? I think that community involvement, honestly, I'm not really talking to them right now, but to all of us, you know, as we grow up, is hugely important. Just as people of faith, it's a way that we're able to express to others the love of Jesus. And so that is one important thing. But communities are held together, I think, by common goals and being able to complete those together. And so by serving others, I think we are... completing a mission as not only a community, but as Christ followers. And as there's no time really in your whole life to stop being a part of community. Well, there's, thank you so much for spending the day with us and we hope to see you in May. Thank you. Our next judge is Samantha Rose. Samantha resides in Overland Park, Kansas, where she works part-time as a nurse at Children's Mercy Hospital. She attended OCCS and Unity Christian and served as the 2012 Tulip Festival Queen. After graduating from Dort University, she married her husband Micah and now they have two daughters, Emery and Sutton. Please welcome our past queen, Samantha Rose. Samantha, share with us a little bit about your time as queen. My year, I was the queen in 2012 and I I just had such a good time. It was so fun. It was me and Jacqueline from Unity and then Kaitlyn, Jennifer, and Lauren from MLC. And it was so fun just to get to know those girls. We had one of the hottest years in like record history. But we still had such a fun time even though it was so hot and we had no tulips. We had such a great time making memories together. That sounds fun. You mentioned that you and your family return each year to attend and participate in the festival. What has been your favorite part in sharing the festival with your family? So fun to, I have, my daughter turns three this week, and she thinks the festival is the greatest thing ever. Personally, because she gets to just stay up and not take a nap and gets to eat lots of good food. But it's so fun to, like, show her the things that I grew up doing. And she got to, like, scrub the streets and wear a costume. And she thinks the marching band is the greatest thing ever. She can sing the whole song. And she has, like, a little flag she twirls at home. And fun. Well, we're grateful that you could spend the day with these five ladies. Ladies, and thank you for your time and energy while you served as a judge. All right. Our last judge for the evening is Mr. Steve Connell. Steve directed The Pride of the Dutchman. band at MOC Floyd Valley for 42 years. Over the course of his career, the Pride of the Dutchman band gained a reputation as one of the most unique and entertaining marching bands in the United States. Steve has marched in over 250 Tulip Festival parades from 1975 to 2017. He still participates in the Tulip Festival by leading and marching with the Pride of the Dutchman alumni band. Steve is still active in the music life of Orange City, serving as the director of the Red Raider Athletic Band at Northwestern College. He and his wife, Cindy, continue to love the community and life in Northwest Iowa. Please welcome our community judge, Steve Connell. Steve, you have been involved in many TULIP festivals. Tell us one. involved as a community member that's that's that's a real challenge you're talking about what 200 300 parades The most memorable one was my last one when a lot of people showed up to march. My last parade. That was memorable. But I think maybe my favorite memory is early in our career, I don't know, my wife and I, we had a couple of young sons and it snowed. And I still have a picture of my son with my wife sitting in front of the town hall with snow coming down. And that was a... It's an interesting Tulip Festival. Agreed. How do you find yourself staying involved in the Tulip Festival even though your role has changed? And what encouragement would you give to these girls as they look to be involved in the years to come after their time on the court? Well, I think right now, first of all, my wife and I go to every parade. We're trying to keep that thing going. So it has been 48 years, every parade that they've ever had I've been at. The alumni band is a lot of fun. Those are the things that I'm trying to do now. As a former director, I've tried to stay back from the current band and just enjoy the parade. Quite honestly, when you're really involved in it, it's difficult to just really enjoy what's going on. I still don't, yeah, I guess I have seen scrub the streets. As far as what I would suggest to these girls is this is one of the most unique and wonderful events in the country. I've seen a lot of great parades where there have been millions of people, literally millions of people. But this little town. has something very special going on in it. It's something that they, I don't have to tell them anything about what to do. They feel it right now. I've met five of the most lovely, wonderful, intelligent young ladies. part of this festival for the rest of their life. Whenever they get a chance to come home and see their mom and dad and spend time at the Tula Festival, they're going to do it. Yeah, I can attest I brought my husband back for the festival in his cutie little costume. But thank you so much for coming and being here tonight. We're really thankful for not only being here tonight, but so many years of service that you've given to the festival and our community all around. So overall, can we give a... Clap and applause for Steve and for everyone, all three of the judges. So we'll give a little information. After Orange City, residents can vote. They elect five ladies that will be on the court. So once they get elected on the court, they are given a prompt, and they get to start preparing a speech and a presentation for you tonight. So each candidate was given this prompt. You're taking a guest on a VIP tour behind the scenes of the Tulip Festival. What would you show them? Would you tell them about Orange City? What do you tell them about the volunteers and how do they make the festival happen? Our first presenter is Rebecca Boersma. Her presentation is entitled, A Dutch Deal. Hello and welcome to the 83rd Annual Tulip Festival. I'm Rebecca Boersma and I will be your guide on this VIP tour today. Now, like any Dutchman, I love a good deal. So I stopped by the information booth this morning to pick up a value booklet for each of us. These booklets contain $28 of Tulip Festival fun, but only cost you $15. Each booklet allows access to these seven events at the festival. The first ticket we have here is a ticket to a performance of the Dutch Dozen. The Dutch Dozen is a group made up of 14 girls from the two local high schools. The group was formed in 1948 by the late Miss Laudanotaboon. Numerous volunteers make the Dutch Dozen happen, such as two volunteer coaches, a troupe of students, and a group of students. These girls practice one hour a week all spring long and perform three times a day during the festival. They are often seen walking with the band, scrubbing streets, or Dutch dancing, which makes them some of the busiest people in the festival. And I would know, because back in my day, I was a member for three years. The next ticket we have is to the Dutch American Heritage Museum, which contains many exhibits filled with Dutch history. The museum tells the town the beautiful story of our town as it progressed from a small colony into the community we know today. Two years ago, the museum was completely remodeled, and this was only made possible by the volunteers who donated money, time, and effort. There are also volunteers who work as tour guides of the museum and give special tours, kind of like the one you're getting with me today. Oh look there's a trolley rip off that ticket and let's hop on. The horse-drawn trolley rides have been around for over 20 years. There are 24 locals who volunteer as tour guides and cashiers for the trolleys. The tour guides are given a script which contains a ton of information about Orange City's historic homes and buildings. Some of the tour guides have read the script so many times they even have it memorized and are known to go and add their own spin to every ride, which makes each tour a unique and enjoyable experience. Coming up on our right is the Sentry Home. And with our ticket we get a special tour. The Sentry Home is a house that shows the life of a person living in Orange City in the early 1900s. There's a ton of Dutch memorabilia, such as the Haspersklok, which came straight from the Netherlands, quilts with original Dutch patterns, and a pipe organ that was handcrafted by a farmer in 1903. However, I would have to say that my favorite part of the house has to be the Queen's Room, which contains photos of every queen and court the Tewel Festival has ever had. Now I know we must be getting a bit tired, but we have no time to waste, so why don't we check out our next ticket? This is a ticket for one free pedicab ride. A pedicab is a cart that is pulled behind a good old-fashioned Dutch bicycle. No e-bikes here! The pedicab drivers will take you anywhere along the Tullet Festival route. And as you can imagine, this is the best way to enjoy the ride. Enjoy the ride! So we've covered some transportation, history, and entertainment. But what are we missing? Oh, that's right, the food! This wouldn't be a Tullet Festival without some good old authentic Dutch food. This ticket allows one free treat along the Stratton Market. However, I would definitely have to recommend checking out the Sasashi stand to redeem this coupon. The Sasashi's are made and packaged by local parents from OCCS, the Christian Elementary School. They are often seen running the stand which they're sold out of during the festival. So if you are like me and you want a delicious snack along with supporting local students, I recommend checking out this stand to redeem your coupon. And finally on our tour today, what would a tulip festival be without the tulips? There are 50,000 tulips planted in Orange City every year with 15,000 of those in Windmill Park alone. Every year in late October volunteers get together to plant the tulip bulbs. I have volunteered before and let me tell you I have gained such an appreciation for these flowers. The Tulip Town Bulb Company does an amazing job of selecting tulip varieties that are not only pretty, but make sure that no matter the weather we get to see some tulips. Because let's face it, nobody likes a stem fest. But why am I rambling on when our last ticket is a ticket to the Tulip Talk? Let's go hear John Buncema explain the history and process of these special flowers. Buckle up and get ready to learn about Orange City's tulips. Well, I'd say we've had a great time on our tour today, but if you are like me, this has not been nearly enough of the Tewit Festival fun. So go check out the evening parade or the night show later today, and don't forget that there are still two more days left of the festival. Thank you and enjoy all the Dutch this town has to offer. Our next presentation is from Amelia Kalspeak entitled Meet Me at the Parade. Oh hi! Welcome to our wonderful town of Warren City. I know it is nothing like your home in the Netherlands, but we try our best to represent as much Dutch heritage as we can. How lucky that the first time you were here the tulips have bloomed. The streets are crowded and there are multiple lawn chairs set out to watch the parade this evening. The parade is one of the best events during the Tulip Festival because of the many different aspects it shows, including the authentic costumes, the involved organizations, and the many volunteers. As we speak, Kurt Wierda is working tirelessly to ensure that the floats are in pristine condition and ready to make their way down the parade route. Kurt with 16 years of experience, you'll be amazed to see the variety of floats we have at our festival, some of which hold a special place in my heart, including the Blooming Tulip, the Boy Who Held Back the Sea, and the Center Clawed Float, which I had the privilege to ride as a child. Hey, Kurt, we ready to get this parade started? Perfect. As we turn the corner here the streets are spotless. The buckets and brooms you see piled up are provided by the city and our tight-knit community comes together to scrub the streets to make suitable for the Queen and her court. Now watch out for the boys with the buckets you might get splashed! We see our windmill park which is utilized for many events during our festival. The majority of our tulips are actually planted in the park which makes it perfect for a classic family photo. In fact, I planted some of the tulips you will see, and hopefully they bloom. The Tulip Town bulb company owned by the Dreschers and located here in town offers a variety of tulips imported straight from your home in the Netherlands. Now I know that in the Netherlands bicycles are preferred, but here we rely on pedicabs for transportation around our festival. Oh look, here comes one now. It might actually be my dad. Many volunteers dedicate their time to drive the pedicabs around town, showcasing our beautiful festival. Tour de Tulips is also a great event we have at our festival. In fact, I'm wearing one of the authentic Tour de Tulips cycling jerseys. Here, I'll give you a little spin. Oh look, there's John and Joanne Weber who actually decide the route for Tour de Tulips. Surprisingly 2024 will be the fifth year of this event. Now let's go down Main Street. The Little White Store is on our left, offering puffer cheese, a beloved snack at our festival. Many volunteers come together to make the Little Mini Dutch Pancakes. They make the batter and use special girls ordered directly from the Netherlands. When you pick up your serving at the end of the line, they'll sprinkle a generous layer of ...melt in your mouth. Anyways, you should let me know how they compare to your treats back at home. Stepping out of the Little White store, you'll hear our enthusiastic announcers, Beth Ullman and Joel Stauffer, who've been announcing the Mocho for about 25 years now. The dancers have a super important role in sharing the Dutch heritage with everyone, which is why they rarely add any flair to their script to preserve the historical information. Shout out to the sound crew, especially Tony, who makes sure every word and note is heard. They test out the speakers every morning before the first parade to ensure that the Dutch dancing music resonates throughout town, and trust me, that music gets stuck in your head. Many people's favorite part of the festival is watching and listening to the Pride of the Dutchmen marching band come down the street or clomp down the street to championship. Tonight is special because on our last parade of our festival, the alumni band gets the opportunity to play the song once again. Dan Mangold serves as the director currently, and Steve Connell marches with the alumni band since he started the tradition 42 years ago. As our parade comes to a conclusion, we hope that we portray as much Dutch heritage as you see back home. And as a token of our gratitude, I would love to give you this t-shirt, which hopefully what it says holds true to you. And I'd love to talk more, but I actually gotta go get some puffer cheese before the Little White store closes. Thank you. Avery Kelch will now give her presentation entitled, Volunteer in Practice. Thanks for stopping at the information booth. Have a great day. Well, hello. Welcome to the windmill. I see you have one of our VIP tickets. I've been expecting you. As a 30-year Tulip Festival volunteer, it's an honor for me to take you on a walking tour of our parade route and to tell you about the volunteers that really make this festival so special. I'm glad to see you wore good shoes. Don't worry about me. I'm wearing five layers of socks. I feel like I'm walking on a cloud. Before we begin our tour today, I want to tell you about an important aspect that allows our Tulip Festival to run so smoothly. That's our four main volunteer committees. We then have nearly 40 subcommittees to make up our entire steering committee. And yes, everyone is a volunteer with most committees working year-round planning for the Tulip Festival. Today we are going to begin our tour at the Windmill Information Booth. Our volunteers in the booth help hundreds of guests every day. We sell tickets, give directions, answer the phone, calm lost children, and keep a good supply of safety pins on hand for any costume malfunctions. It takes over 100 volunteers just to staff the information booth for three days of the festival. Everything related to the information booth falls under our promotion committee. Now, if you guys look to my right, you will see hundreds of kids lining up to Dutch Dance for the Stratfest, which is when we celebrate our Dutch heritage with a parade of our costumes and dances from the Netherlands. These dances are performed by fourth graders all the way up to adults. Have I ever dutch danced? But after all those years my knees don't step brush hot quite like they used to. The Stratfest as well as other programs such as the Night Show and Dutch Dozen fall under our program committee. We are going to continue our tour today down Central Avenue. Here we have two blocks of reserved parade seating. As you can see the bleachers are already filling up for the Stratfest and parade. Speaking of bleachers, everything that you see downtown that isn't normally here during the rest of the year falls under our property committee. They set it all up and then they take it all down. Hey, let's stop here for a second and listen to something really special. Do you hear that? The sounds of the festival. You can hear lots of laughter and different conversations happening. You can even hear the carnival behind us too. What really comes through loud and clear. Thanks to our amazing Sound Crew volunteers, our festival barkers and parade announcers. These volunteers sit up in soundstands along the three of our community and announce each parade entry as it comes through town. I see you looking at the water tanks along the street. You've witnessed our street scrubbing event. It really is a generational volunteer experience. We are serious about Dutch Clean. We are going to continue walking and turn right at the courthouse so we can get you back to your reserved parade seat. If you take a look around, you will see so many bands and floats getting lined up for the parade. It really does take an army of volunteers to coordinate six parades over the course of three days. And bonus, the parade committee wears fun volunteer shirts. I hear there's an unspoken rivalry between the parade committee and sound crew about whose volunteer shirts are the best. Our parade committee is hard at work months before the Tulip Festival. They're busy contacting bands, organizing entries, fixing up floats, and building new ones. If you take a look along the street by the courthouse, you'll see two large cone-shaped floats. Hans and Greta. When I was 11, Greta happened to play a role in helping me overcome my fear of heights when my mom gave me a not-so-gentle push up the ladder to get inside. This is also where I practiced my tulip court wave. Being Greta happens to be one of my favorite Tulip Festival memories. Oh, and do you hear that? Can you feel the excitement in the air? This is one of the most iconic Tulip Festival sounds. hundreds of wooden shoes clomping on the street. This means the band is coming, and I will bet you, a loud strabrot and an almond patty, that you will have goosebumps and a tear in your eye when you hear the Pride of the Dutchman band marching down the street. It's okay. It happens to the best of us every single year. Well, we've made it back to your reserved parade seat. Thank you for coming on our VIP tour. It really is a joy to be able to show off the parts of the festival that make it so special. which at the end of the day is all of the people. Thanks to our volunteers, we've been making all of this happen for 83 years. And before I let you go, one last tidbit. Our VIP really stands for Volunteer in Practice, and it's our hope that now that you've seen a windmill's view of how the promotion, property, parade, and program committees work, that you will want to join too. And you don't need to be a volunteer. heritage, and hospitality. Volunteer next year. Enjoy! Our next presentation is from Kylie Kurtz entitled, Taking a Tour Through the Tulip Festival. Hello and welcome to the Orange City Tulip Festival. It is such a pleasure to have you visit our beautiful town. I'm your tour guide, Kylie Kurtz, and while I could spend hours telling you about our special festival, our tour today will inform you about the Dutch Dozen, the Mocho, and the Dutch Dancers. The first stop on our Tulip Festival tour is the Dutch Dozen Show. We came here first because the Dutch Dozen are the official Goodwill Ambassadors for the Orange City Tulip Festival. The Dutch Dozen was formed in 1948 by the late Mrs. Lyden Noodeboom and it is made up of 14 girls from our two local high schools. I was a member of the Dutch Dozen for three years and I made many wonderful memories that I will continue to cherish forever. Three shows every day of the festival, starting at 10.30, 11.30, and 4.00. Before their shows, you can oftentimes find the members of the Dutch Dozen outside on the street doing lots of fun dances to entertain onlookers. At their shows, the ladies will sing and dance while accompanied by the piano. Some of these songs are even sang in Dutch. A few of their Dutch songs are named Dar by de Molin, Het Rehen, and De Wezem. De Bezem is the last song that this group sings, and the Dutch Dozen invites the audience to sing along with them. The song goes, De Bezem, De Bezem, But die U der me, But die U der me, Wie fegen der me, Wie fegen der me, De Floran, De Floran. The translation for this is, the broom, the broom. What do you do with it? What do you do with it? We sweep with it, we sweep with it, the floor up, the floor up. After the show, you will be greeted by the Dutch Dozen as you walk out the door. You can stop to talk to them, ask questions, or take a picture with them. The Dutch Dozen wears the authentic costume of Volendam. This is the costume I am wearing today. This costume is widely known for its striped apron and pointed white hat, although the Dutch doesn't add their own special touch with bright orange shoes that even glow in the dark during a few of their songs. The next stop on our Tulip Festival tour is the Moad Show. The Moad Show is part of our Stratfest, also known as Street Festival, and it takes place every day of the festival at 1 o'clock p.m. on Central Avenue. This show is free to watch unless you choose to reserve bleacher seats for a better view. If you choose to go this route, bleacher seating costs $5. Individuals of all ages participate in our Mocho. The Mocho is a fashion show in which participants walk down the street in their varied Dutch costumes. There are many different provinces of the Netherlands. Each group of people carrying a sign, like this one, that distinguishes their province costumes from the others. Participants will walk down Main Street, waving and smiling to those enjoying the parade. Do you hear that? The clomping sound you hear is the sound of the junior and senior Dutch dancers running onto the street in their wooden shoes. This is the third stop on our Tulip Festival tour. Here, you'll see these junior and senior Dutch dancers snaking their way down the block while holding hands. Speaking from experience, it can be a bit of a wild ride. I remember holding on for dear life to the hands of the people next to me as we raced down the street at record speed. In past years, the junior and senior Dutch dancers have practiced Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. These dances are authentic to the Netherlands, and each participant will be wearing authentic wooden shoes, also known as klompen. Each dancer will also be wearing an authentic Dutch costume, although you'll see a few marching band costumes sprinkled into the mix. These dances are done in circles, with four or five couples in each circle. The circles are lined up all the way down the block. These circles of dancers will then turn into one long line, as they all hold hands. On the last day of the festival, you may even get a chance to dance with them, as each dancer pulls someone from the crowd. As long as you know how to step brush up, you'll be able to catch on to these dances pretty quickly. These dances are incredibly fun to watch, and I highly recommend stopping by on one of the shows. What a day! Now that you've learned about the Dutch Dozen, the Mocho, and the Dutch Dancers, this concludes our tour. I hope you enjoy the rest of your time spent at the Orange City Pula Festival. Remember to stop by the art vendors along Main Street and try some of the art that you see here. When you're around the festival, don't be shy. Stop to say hi to me. I would love to talk to you. Now, I would like to stay and chat some more, but my next tour will be underway in 10 minutes, so I better run. Ella Papamo will now give her presentation entitled Running Late. Oh pardon me I'm in a hurry to get to my next shift at the Tewit Festival. It always seems like I'm running late. Each year on the third weekend of May our town honors our Dutch heritage with an event called Tewit Festival. Two of my favorite things from the festival are food and costumes. To understand why food is so good I have to tell you what makes our area special. Early immigrants were primarily from the northern provinces of the United States. which they brought with them and still continue today. Watches, I help make brats at Watches Market. Watsch was established in 1926 by James Watsch, my great-great-grandfather, after he immigrated from the Friesland province in the Netherlands. He brought back with him many traditional recipes, including dried beef and seasoned sausages. Dried beef was traditionally known as nagelhout, and historically was only offered by rich cattle farmers who could afford to serve the thinly slices of salted beef to their guests. The sausage recipe that we know as Brats was inspired by the recipes known as Cookwurst and Rookwurst which originated in the province of Gelderland. If you ever want to sample our Woudscher meat tradition and local pork I recommend the Dutch apple gouda brat. Rouchers Brats are always served with a smile by the Brat Stand girls. After enjoying some of our favorites, us locals try the fun game called, Does My Costume Still Fit? The costumes you will see as you walk around the festival represent the 19th century Holland. In 1934, the Brats were the first to be born. organizers offered the first costume contest. They wanted families to show off their Dutch costumes. The costume, the contest winner received $2.50. Photos and articles of one such winner can be seen at on the south side of the courthouse block. In the late 1960s a group of ladies, a group of volunteers formed a committee to further develop authentic Dutch clothing for the festival. Over the years, this group of ladies traveled to the Netherlands to visit museums, consult books, purchase fabrics, and talk with local experts. Their work led to patterns for the court and community. Their work led to patterns. Along with patterns, in 1976, the Royal Queen and her court wore an authentic costume from the village of Marken in the province of Noord-Holland. Take a fascinating look into court history at the Century Home located on Albany Ave. Where you can see a photo of each queen in court since 1937 starting with the first queen, Elizabeth Topp, in her court. The work of the Dutch Costume Sewing Committee continues today. The costumes are being researched and patterns being updated and created. The members volunteer year after year to sew, knit, cross stitch, measure and fit costumes. I wonder what this year's costume will be. This is a piece from my first costume. A local Dutch costume expert taught my mom and I how to thread a needle and put the beads on when I was in second grade. It took us a few months, but we created our own unique bugue. That year, my babysitter was the queen, Ali Aktof, and I loved matching her in her Axel costumes. Although, my mom didn't make us take a lot of pictures. Oh no, I'm going to be late for my shift. Follow me, I would love to get your first TULIP Festival treat. Have you ever heard the phrase, going Dutch? These girls did incredible. Please give them another round of applause. I have to say they really did a wonderful job. One of the many things my court and I learned while being on Tulip Court is how much preparation goes into making the Tulip Festival happen each year. These girls did a great job of representing that. You're right, Amanda. Even though the third weekend in May seems far away, preparations are well underway for the 2024 Tulip Festival. There were so many great memories made at the last TULIP Festival, so let's take a look at all the fun we had this past May. No, that's not what I said, I'm alive. It's not a big deal, it's a big deal, but So I think I'll end it on the line And roll stars past you, you mean the thing Cause all the big clappers, they climb the thing What are you excited to see? The No bets, no bets, say time all lies, it's such a big mistake. South of Denmark, 20 kilometers north. I'm going to try to get the same information as I did before. I'll be talking about the following for our show, and then I'm going to write a letter to my fellow students. I'm going to write a letter to my fellow students. I'm going to write a letter to my fellow students. I'm going to write a letter to my fellow students. This is not in my script, but Lauren McDonald made that incredible video, and I know that gets my heart pounding wanting to go back to the festival. It's such an incredible time of the year, and my cutie husband did make an appearance, so. I love it. All right. Amanda, what were you feeling a year ago as you just finished your presentation and quickly changed for the next part of this evening? Juliana, I was feeling many different emotions, and I'm sure these girls are feeling the exact same way too. During my time preparing for this night last year, I knew my biggest challenge was going to be my presentation about the Feets and Zongers. As I walked backstage, I was pleased with how well I did and was instantaneously filled with joy. I wasn't sure if I was relieved because it was over or because I was happy that I did it. While preparing for the next few minutes of the pageant, a wave of confidence came over me. I was happy that I was going into a wonderful year with such amazing ladies surrounding me, no matter who was crowned queen. The journey is just beginning for these five young women, and as you said, Amanda, no matter what the outcome of tonight, we both know how much fun is in store the months ahead. These young ladies have done a great job so far, but the evening isn't quite over. Now, we will welcome each of them back on stage to answer an impromptu question from each of us. The rest of the girls are hidden backstage with noise-canceling headphones so they cannot hear the questions being asked. Our first candidate is Rebecca Borsma. Rebecca, in 10 years, how do you hope to be involved in the Tulip Festival? I hope to be wearing the Dutch costume that we have on Two of Court, which I'm not allowed to talk about. I hope to be married and have kids and try to get them involved in some way. And just like walking in the mode show, scrubbing streets, just doing things that I've grown up doing, just with my family. If you had an entire day to yourself, how would you fill your time? I would definitely sleep as long as I could, which my ability to sleep in is only like 7.30, so I would start off pretty early. Probably go get coffee and breakfast, spend some time outside like reading a book with nice weather obviously, and then try to fill it with some activities with friends and family or going out and maybe some shopping in there, and then probably watching a movie and then going to bed. Thank you. Our next candidate is Amelia Calspeak. Amelia, in 10 years, how do you hope to be involved in the Tulip Festival? 10 years? I hope to be a volunteer in many of the events for our Tulip Festival. And I definitely see myself doing the tour de tulips with maybe my dad. I don't know. If you had an entire day to yourself, how would you feel your time? Oh my goodness. Well, being a senior, I definitely... Probably just like hang out with my friends and have a good time and maybe go to the beach. Thank you. Yeah. Our next candidate is Avery Kelch. Avery, in 10 years, how do you hope to be involved in the Tulip Festival? So in 10 years, I hope to have kids, hopefully by then. And I want them to be involved in the Tulip Festival just like I was involved at a young age. My parents started me street scrubbing and I want to carry that tradition throughout my family. If you had an entire day to yourself, how would you feel your time? I'd probably sleep until probably one of my five alarms wakes me up. I think I would spend time outside, go for a walk, drive over to my grandma's house, and then probably get some most chili pantes. Thank you. Thank you. Our next candidate is Ms. Kylie Kurtz. Kylie, in 10 years, how do you hope to be involved in the TULIP Festival? That's a good question. I can definitely see myself in 10 years still walking in the Mocho and being on the Queens Float and maybe even being part of the Queens Committee and being a court mom. If you had an entire day to yourself, how would you feel your time? If I had an entire day to myself, I would definitely start off by getting coffee. And then I would probably go shopping with a lot of my friends and then go out to eat probably to Olive Garden for pasta. Thank you. Thank you. And our final contestant is Miss Ella Popma. Thank you. Ella, in 10 years, how do you hope to be involved in the Tulip Festival? In 10 years, I hope to be involved by walking in the Mocha with my family and the Tulip Court. I also hope to be scrubbing the streets and possibly working at Wild Strudel's still by then. If you had an entire day to yourself, how would you fill your time? I think I would definitely go to the shopping outlets in Omaha, especially the Nike ones. And then I would go get Starbucks. Then I think I would go spend it at somewhere like, I don't know, Arab Madness or Sky Zone. Jump on those trampolines and have fun with that. Sounds like a fun day to me. Yeah. Thank you. Thank you, ladies. That was fun for me. Before these ladies leave the stage, I want to thank each of these candidates once more, and she will share with us what the Tulip Festival means to her. Becca Borsma. To me, Tule Festival is a symbol of community. It's amazing to watch people from our town and from out of town all kind of come together to celebrate one common thing, our Dutch heritage. Being a part of the Dutch Dozen has led me to be super proud and love talking to these tourists who have no idea what's going on. And being the good ambassador that we're supposed to be for Dutch Dozen has really just made me appreciate and take an outside view of what people think of the Tule Festival. Miss Amelia, can I speak? For me, Tulip Festival means opportunity. There are so many opportunities during the festival, whether that's seeing family and friends, or being involved in volunteering. The Tulip Festival gives me the opportunity to learn about our Dutch heritage and learn about how our ancestors used to live, which is really important to me. Avery Kelch. So for me, Tulip Festival serves as an opportunity to be able to celebrate my community's heritage. And I think people feel good when they're able to be involved in something bigger than themselves. I feel that way as well when I'm able to participate and get involved in the Tulip Festival. And for me, and I'm sure many others, we want to keep, we want to see this tradition of Tulip Festival continue through generations, just because it is so special. Miss Kylie Kurtz. Tulip Festival has always been one of my favorite times of the year and it's always been a big part of my life. To me, Tulip Festival is a time to celebrate our community's heritage and it is an event that deepens our sense of community and connection, especially between the generations through volunteering. And last but not least, Ella Paloma. When I think of Tulip Festival, I think of family heritage. Being a part of this Tulip Festival has allowed me to learn more about my ancestors and how my great-great-grandpa has impacted this town by starting a small business. It also has made me realize how important volunteering is. and how to keep this to a festival coming for years to come you're gonna get sick of me but one last time let's hear it for the 2024 to the Queen candidates the next time these girls are on stage the tulip queen will be announced Thank you. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry. I'm not joined with my life. I sing in vain tonight. Many words I say. And the tears I feel. Making my socks sing. And bringing a smile to your face. I don't know. I don't know. I don't know. I I don't know. I I don't know. I I don't know. I don't know. I don't I I I I I I don't know. I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I Hallelujah, hallelujah, let my life's song sing to you. Hallelujah, hallelujah, let my life's song sing to you. I would love to introduce to you the 2023 Tulip Court and share with you a few of our memories from our year on the court. Ladies, would you please join me on stage? Okay, we'll start at the end. Don't be afraid, you did this last year. Okay, what is your name, where are you attending college, and what is your major? My name is Elizabeth King. I, my parents know? Sure. Okay. My parents are Don and Miranda King. I currently attend Dort University and my major is communications. Do you want, okay. Kinsey Van Kikriks, my parents are Leroy and JC Van Kikriks. I go to NCC and I'm majoring in nursing. Hello my name is Nevaeh Sampson, my parents are Brent and Teresa Sampson. I attend Dort University and my major is elementary education. My name is Kaitlyn Huizenga, my parents are Aaron and Kim Huizenga. I attend Dort University for nursing. And I'm Amanda Holstein, my parents are Brent and Mary Holstein and I attend the Iowa State University and I'm majoring in event management. So what was one of your favorite memories on Tulip Court from this last year? My favorite parts of being on Tulip Court was probably when we got to go in the airplane and fly over Orange City. That was really fun on the Saturday of the pancake breakfast. My favorite memory of being on the Tulip Court was when I was in the airplane and fly over Orange City. That was really fun on the Saturday of the pancake breakfast. Because it was my birthday. The way to spend my birthday in my court and my queen were all very nice to me and they just the one picture of them hugging me that was just so much fun. My favorite memories was going to Des Moines and we got to Dutch dance with Governor Kim Reynolds and shopping and pool party there. I have many fantastic memories but one in particular was when we were in Pella and this is no hate on Pella or anything but They did forget about us. They did not bring a golf cart to bring us to our float or where we were going to watch the rest of the parade. So we were stuck there for a while and we didn't really know what to do. So we decided to sing and dance. So there was two people that were sitting in their front yard and were like, hey, do you guys have any requests? So we sang Girls Just Wanna Have Fun and Wannabe. And. It was really fun because we made a really good situation out of something that was kind of dreary. But it brought us all together and we all kind of came out of our comfort zone because we were just singing our hearts out in Pella. So, yeah. Absolutely. To go off of all of... Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. I absolutely loved every one of those memories, but something that will always be special to me is our Orange City Tulip Festival. Probably a little biased, but I guess I can be that way. I love just seeing all of the guests that come from all over everywhere and just see how much they enjoy our festival and see the smiles on their faces. Many people say that you need to be involved in the festival to enjoy it, but when you see someone else from a different place or even a different country from the Netherlands, you can see how much they love the festival. they come up and compliment us on our communities. So I can give props to you guys for that. It sounds like your court had an unforgettable year. These memories will stay with you for a lifetime. So can you please give a round of applause for the 2020 Parish Hill Court? All right, Amanda, your time as the reigning Tulip Queen is coming to an end. Do you have any final thoughts? Throughout our time serving Orange City, the Tula Court and I have felt so blessed to have a strong community behind us. We thank you all for the love and support you have shown us through this past year. I would like to give a special thank you to our parents, all of the volunteers, Mayor Deb DeHaan, and the City of Orange City for being by our side through this unforgettable journey. As we wrap up the final moments of our reign as the 2023 Tulip Court, I know these five girls anxiously waiting backstage will be great stewards of our community and be a light to those around them during their time as the 2024 Orange City Tulip Court. Thank you. There are so many people who work so hard before most of the community even starts thinking about the Tulip Festival. One exciting part of the Tulip Festival is the night show. Every year, Orange City puts on an impressive production of a musical, and this year, it is Footloose. Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry. We're excited to have the director of this year's night show with us. Mrs. Amanda Lemke. Do you have a mic? All right. Well, hello. My name is Amanda Lemke, and I get the privilege of talking to you this evening. So, Footloose. Though they couldn't be here with me this evening, we have an awesome directing staff on board for this production. Myself and my husband, Drew Lemke, will be co-directing the show as well as the music. Susan Henrich is our producer. Robin Suing will be doing the choreography for the show. Bruce Vanderstelt is in charge of set building. He couldn't get out of that one. And finally, Selena Munson will be our stage manager. We are all so excited to bring this show to life on Orange City's stage. When Drew and I decided that we would take on Orange City's stage, Another night show. We looked endlessly at musical options and there might have been some debating involved. Always friendly but you know. Do we want a classic musical? A show focused towards children? A show not focused towards children? Something well known or something new? We ended on these three final factors being most important to our decision. We wanted something that is fun and exciting for our cast to perform. We want a show that people of all ages can enjoy. And we want a show that the average person who's not a theater nerd like us would recognize the name of and that's how we landed on Footloose. The Musical is a lively and energetic stage adoption of the popular 1984 film. The story follows Ren McCormick, a city teenager, forced to move to small-town Beaumont where dancing and rock music have been banned. Ren challenges the local laws determined to bring dance back to the community. Along the way, he faces opposition from the town's reverend, confronts his own personal demons, and falls in love with the reverend's rather rebellious daughter, Ariel. No spoilers, but I promise it has a happy and heartwarming ending. The show is packed with high-energy dance numbers and iconic 80s hits like Holding Out for a Hero, Let's Hear It for the Boys, Almost Paradise, and of course, Footloose. Overall, the show is a celebration of youthful spirit. freedom and the power of music to break down barriers and bring people together. We are looking to cast about 40 to 50 people in the show, and of that cast, there are seven. We hope to have a few large choruses, one for teenagers or teenagers at heart, and one for our more mature adults. We are looking to cast ages 16 on up. Dancing skills are great to have, but definitely not necessary. We have good teachers. We're also seeking out volunteers willing to help with hair and makeup, work on stage crew, build sets, usher, work with costumes, and many, many more roles. If you're interested or know someone who would fit those roles well, we welcome any help with open arms. The community of our night show is something truly unique and special. Not only do we have a lot of fun and laughter, We also encourage and pray for each other. Lifelong friendships are built in those 200-plus hours of rehearsal. Lastly, you know I had to include a plug for tickets. Going to the show is one of the best ways to support it. The show will be performed from Monday to Saturday during the week of the Tulip Festival. Tickets go on sale January 15, 2024, so feel free to put a reminder in your phone for that day. Thank you for your time and support of the Tulip Festival Night Show. We hope to see you there! I look forward to the night show and watching all of the talented community members come together to put on an amazing show. Thank you so much to Drew and Amanda for all of the ways that you volunteer for the festival and especially the many hours you put into making the night show another success. The time has come. It is now time to crown our 2024 Tulip Festival Queen. the votes have been counted and we are almost ready to announce the 2024 tulip queen before we do that please welcome to the stage mayor deb de haan evening amanda how are you clean amanda last time i well not last time i can say it that's okay that's okay but then you're going to be a has-been it's okay i had my time it's okay we'll pass it on Thank you for being with us here tonight. Before we crown the next queen, do you have any words of encouragement for these five ladies behind us? I do. But first of all, I want to thank each and every one of you for being here tonight. This is a big deal for these girls, and it's wonderful that there's such a great amount of people here to support them and to love them. And I thank the judges. It was just wonderful having you all here. And is Luann gone? Oh, because I was going to tell her we have, we can find her a Dutch costume and she can come down here, you know. But we just thank you for putting the, volunteering your day. We are a very special community. volunteering we do. I know Tony and Colby were up here, but I do want to specifically thank them this year because they are the co-chairman of the Tulip Festival, and it's a lot of work. Like they said, they start already in June. So it's a busy time, but we couldn't do it without each and every one of you. So just thank you for investing in these young ladies and the community. And now I'm going to turn around from you because these five ladies, oh man. and I just said to them, you know, God made you just the way you are, so just be yourself because you can't be better than that. And I'm just so proud of them. They're going to be wonderful ambassadors for Orange City, and it's going to go very, very fast. I was visiting with one of our costume ladies, Marla's hot back there, and we were talking about it, and she says, well, you were on the court, and I realized, I don't even dare say this, but this 2024 will be my. 50th anniversary of being on the tulip court. I'm going to need a walker, I tell you. So it is, you know, you make lifelong friends, and it's just, you just can't replace them. I can't put it in words. And any one of you five will be a beautiful queen. So now you're done. You're sick of me talking, I know. And they think I'm talented, but here we go. It is my privilege and honor to introduce to you the 2024 Tulip Festival Queen, Queen Avery Kelch. Thank you. Thank you for coming to the 2024 Queen's Crowning event. We're so thankful for these five amazing young ladies and the way they will represent Orange City and the Tulip Festival in the year ahead. I know everyone is eager to come up here and congratulate them so if we could first let the press come and take a few photos then you are more than welcome to come talk to these amazing young women for all they did and last but not least please join us in May May 16 17 and 18 for our tulip festival that's it