Tulip Time Festival in Holland, MI Awarded World Tulip Lifetime Achievement Award

Holland, MI - October 22, 2024 - Tulip Time has been awarded the prestigious World Tulip Lifetime Achievement Award from the World Tulip Summit.

The World Tulip Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes Tulip Time's nearly century-long dedication to celebrating tulips and growing the festival into a globally renowned cultural event. Since 1929, the Tulip Time Festival has blossomed into the longest-running tulip festival in the world, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors annually to experience the vibrant Dutch heritage and stunning floral displays of Holland, Michigan.

"Receiving the World Tulip Lifetime Achievement Award is a tremendous honor that speaks to the passion, commitment, and hard work of the Tulip Time staff, our community partners, and the residents of Holland who have poured their hearts into this festival for generations," said Gwen Auwerda, Executive Director of Tulip Time. "To be recognized on the global stage for the lasting impact our small town has had on the worldwide tulip community is a true point of pride."

The award was presented at the 2024 World Tulip Summit in The Hague, Netherlands, on Thursday, October 17, 2024. The summit gathers tulip growers, festival organizers, and tulip enthusiasts from around the world to celebrate innovations and outstanding achievements in the tulip industry.

Tulip Time was joined by ABC4 West Michigan's Maranda and Scott Stenstrom of Fifth Third Bank as they accepted the World Tulip Media Partner Award.  ABC4 West Michigan, Fifth Third Bank, and Tulip Time have collaborated on international media pieces for the last two years, tying together the culture of the modern-day Netherlands and Holland, Michigan’s Dutch heritage.

"We wouldn't be able to achieve such amazing things without the support of wonderful partners like Fifth Third Bank and Maranda," Auwerda added.

Tulip Time has previously won awards such as the Flower Festival of the Year, presented by the International Garden Tourism Network in 2023; the World Destination Worth Traveling For Award in 2019; and the Tulip Festival of the Year Award, presented by the World Tulip Summit in 2017.

Experience Tulip Time at the 96th Festival, May 2 – 11, 2025. Detailed program and event information for Tulip Time Festival 2025 and tickets are available at www.TulipTime.com.