Tulip Time ~ 2007

'Splendor' by Catherine McClung

May 9 Wed 2:00P Volksparade (1.5 hrs)

May 10 Thu 2:00P Kinderparade (1.5 hrs)

May 12 Sat 2:00P Muziekparade (2.0 hrs)

Consider that a seat must be found no less than 2 hours prior to parade start time. Even if said seat is located towards the end of the parade route. Typically, if I plan to attend the Saturday parade, I trot my buns down to Holland High School about 7:30 Saturday morning, find a few square feet of open grass, mark my spot like a dog and pray nobody pilfers my blanket. Gee, you'd think it was the Rose Parade.

Since I no longer have a child marching with his class in the Kinderparade, I recommend the Saturday parade, with prayers for no rain. I've been fried in the sun, miserable from the heat but I've also been frozen stiff, miserable in near freezing rain. Ya never know! Saturday is not only a bigger parade, it's also longer. I always park at Aunt Trudy's, or Brother Tom's house. They both live about 3 blocks from the end of the parade, which is at Philip's school. The bad part about this is that the marchers are pooped by the time they get to us but they do rather well nonetheless. It's a good spot. Many folks in the crowd at the end of the route are there because they're picking up a parade participant -- everybody knows everybody -- fewer tourists. And, it's an easier exit.