What comes to mind when you hear the word “Iowa”? Let me guess: endless fields of corn, too many cows to count, and possibly no running water. On the contrary, my friends! Iowa marks the center of our nation for much greater reasons. I double-dog dare you to take a trip with me to Orange City, Iowa, population six thousand. Behold: when you set foot on Central Avenue, you will come face to face with what you never expected: a perfect picture of historic Holland.
The last things people think of in regards to Iowa are thriving cultural centers, but Orange City (among many others) proves them wrong. Founded as a community of Dutch immigrants led by the Duke of Orange, this town has never lost grip on its heritage. Every single building downtown sports Dutch architecture by city ordinance. Central park houses a windmill garden which overlooks a traditional Dutch canal. The city chamber office is nestled inside a gigantic (yet authentic) windmill as well.
However, the biggest celebration of Orange City’s Dutch culture always occurs during the third weekend of May with the Tulip Festival. Hundreds of brilliant tulips line the streets as residents perform Dutch dances, model traditional Dutch fashions, and cook up the best of Dutch cuisine. Literally thousands of people pour into this little town each year to witness this joyous dedication to its ethnic background.
As mentioned before, Dutch dancing and fashion displays are an important part of the Tulip Festival. To truly take in all that these three days hold, though, you must watch all six parades. The processionals are headed up by the appointed Tulip Queen and court. Made up of local high school girls, the members of this royal entourage are elected annually to represent their community. They travel around before the festival to share their heritage with the surrounding towns and schools. Before the court passes over the streets, the streets are scrubbed clean with buckets of water and brooms in a gesture of Dutch charm and honor.
The second sight to behold is made up of the Pride of the Dutchmen Marching Band. Another measly, weak sounding excuse for music? Hardly. This band has been recognized internationally by receiving invitations to the Rose Parade on two separate occasions. The 172-piece band, made up of 40 percent of the local high school’s student body, marches the parade route wearing Holland’s trademark wooden shoes.
After the parades, there is still so much to see and do. Watch how wooden shoes are made, attend the Night Show (an exceptional performance of a well-known musical production), and (best of all) sample a smorgasbord of Dutch cooking. Specifically, find your way to the Little White Store, the oldest building in town. Inside, faithful workers prepare Holland’s most delectable treat: poffertjes. These tiny, sweet pancakes topped with powdered sugar and rum flavoring are sure to tickle anyone’s taste buds.
While the celebration draws to a close, you will have realized two things. First, you need to send all of your shirts to the dry-cleaners… They’re coated with powdered sugar from those twelve servings of poffertjes you so thoroughly enjoyed! Second, and more importantly, Iowa was nothing like you expected. Sure, it might have fewer big, flashy cities than you’d like, but it’s the home of places like Orange City that are so much more special. It is unique, culturally-rich towns like this that ornament Iowa in such a beautiful fashion. You’ll have come to love it here. This, my friend, is what America’s heartland is all about.
Dear Reader: This page may contain affiliate links which may earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. Our independent journalism is not influenced by any advertiser or commercial initiative unless it is clearly marked as sponsored content. As travel products change, please be sure to reconfirm all details and stay up to date with current events to ensure a safe and successful trip.
0 Replies to “Orange City: Iowa’s Most Unique Cultural Jewel”
Comment on this article
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
A destiny I will never forget.
This was by far, the best vacation I have ever been on. I hope be awarded the scholarship so that I can go on to college, graduate with honors, and get a great job so that one day I can show my family what a great place Yellowstone National Park is. Thank you for considering my application!
I hope you enjoy my essay. Thank you for your time.
My favorite city so far!
It's such a beautiful place!
my trip.
Hey Everyone,
Thanks for checking out my blog. 🙂 I hope you enjoy.
With Much Appreciation,
– Zoe McDowell
hello
I have run short on space, yet I managed to squeeze in about 3/4ths of my trip.
Lordsburg and Demming are in New Mexico (I guess I should have edited that), and there are numerous other details I would have liked to have included….
If you're interested in traveling in my footsteps, I highly recommend the Togwotee Lodge and Resort, which is where we stayed during our trip.
While visiting Paris the summer I was fourteen, I was captivated my by its beauty. The city's rich culture, diverse people, and turbulent history fascinated me and captured my imagination. It was there that I discovered the wonder of adventure, and my never-ending love of Paris.
this is my actual scholarship submission. PLEASE DO NOT JUDGE THE PREVIOUS ENTRY. THIS IS MY SUBMISSION. THANK YOU.
This was the most incredible vacation ever! All my classmates who attended agreed and have remembered every memory from Washington D.C. Thank you School Tours of America and my special sponsors Mrs. Nobel and Mr. Fitch.
My trip to new york was wonderful. I even c reated a website to prove it.
http://nothinglikenewyork.shutterfly.com/
I almost did not go on this trip, worrying about what could go wrong, that summer would nearly be over when I returned, and how much it cost. But, I decided to take this trip to see a few of my German friends and their families, not knowing when, otherwise, I would see them again if I didn't take this opportunity. Now that I have returned home, I am very happy to have taken this trip.
My name is Inemesit Effiong.I am an avid reader and an ardent Colin Firth fan. I love outdoor activities, writing poetry, and volunteering. I have had the privilege of volunteering with several clubs like National Honor Society, Rotary Club, Interact Volunteer Club, and The Bridge Run. I enjoy watching Jeopardy with my father (mostly because of Alex Trebek) and I hope to pursue Nursing as a major. I entered this contest because I love exploring and I fell that my experience is very relatable, especially to teenagers my age, who would like to travel abroad, but lack the means or opportunity to do so.
This is a blog about my trip with my mother to New York City
I encourage you, go on a mission trip! You will never regret it. If anything it can help you to figure out your place in this world.
I raised money for this trip during the course of my Freshman year, first by a Bake Sale, which raised over $700, then by giving out poetry that I had written in exchange for donations. They expereince broadened me as a leader and created lasting friendships with other cultures.
This was my Italian experience. It was extremely fun and I can’t wait for the time when I get the chance to return.
Hope you enjoyed my essay! Just wanted to share my beliefs and personal experience. 🙂
Hopefully you can enjoy my post! It's what I believe and is my own personal experience. 🙂
My scholarship entry!
Im glad to share my families trip with you. I hope this inspires you to go on a trip with your family to Hawaii.
My vacation to Spain in general was one of the most enjoyable things I have ever done. The culture was rich and the archetecture was far more ornate than anything I've ever seen in the United States. I will defenately go back there some day if I am fortunate enough.
This particular blog was submitted as a scholarship essay to myfamilytravels.com, enjoy!
I truly am grateful for the wonderful opportunity I had to travel to Hong Kong for a month! I'll definitely think about living in Hong Kong in the future!
I hope people can read this travel blog and see for themselves how great the aftermath of war is. Because of war, these children have to suffer every single day. ):
This blog was very fun to write, it let me reevaluate what had happened during the trip and laugh about it once again. Maybe it will inspire someone else to do what what my family did and go through the indescribable little horrors that we all went through. Happy traveling!
If you have ever wondered what a BIG city is, than New York City is the place for you to go! i had a blast there! Check it out!!
I had alot of fun writing this essay.
Europe is a great place to visit!
it looks cool!
Here is my scholarship for the Teen Travel Writing Scholarship of my journey to Alaska!
My trip to London.
I discovered that I was a pretty good photographer while on this trip. I now take all the family vacation pictures!
My trip to Yellowstone was truly amazing! Yellowstone is a must-see for all nature lovers and hikers!
The wedding took place on August 6, 2011.
this was a wonerful trip with friends & family
My experience was amazing here!
My essay describes the emotional connection to the effects of a storm which would seemingly ruins a trip to Lake Michigan.
I wish I could have written more about Germany, but summing up a vacation such as that in only 600 words seemed impossible to me. I would have never guessed I would have learned so much about myself there. We did activitivities I would never seen myself doing in a million years. Many of the students that went on the trip I would not normally be friends with, but at the end of the day no matter how different we were from one another, we were all friends and family to eachother and still keep in touch till this day. I don't know when I will be able to go on such an amazing adventure again, but my advice to whoever comes across this is, if you have the oppritunity, take it. Even if you are apprehensive, take the risk because I'm willing to bet you will learn so much more.
Thank you all for reading this and best of luck to everyone who entered this contest!
We love going to the Hawaiian Islands. Maui was one of our favorites. Molokini Crater is just off of the Maui coast. I couldn't believe at the variety of fish we snorkeled with–we even glimpsed a reef shark! Snorkeling at Molokini Crater was a great experience and was the inspiration for this short essay.
This is my scholarship essay, please confirm that it has been entered. Thank you!
The reason for my visit to Nigeria was because of a death in my family. In the attatched picture, I am in the middle, surrounded by my family members as we walked toward the area where the ceremony was to be held. The whole experience of visiting Nigeria a third time (but as a teenager) opened my eyes and made me realize that there are things in the world bigger than just me and my problems, and it's my job to find a way to give back before time runs out.
This was my family trip to Missouri…never forget how important learning and family is.
I am a young international traveler interested in seeing the dynamics between different cultures acted out out not only through travel but through international relations on a global stage. Trips to Belize and across the world have cemented my belief that nations working together is for the good of everyone on earth.
I wrote this for the Scholarship writing contest.
This is my entry for the FTF Teen Travel Writing Scholorship!
I hope that everyone can learn a little about this unique country from my blog. There are so many more things I wish I could say, but space is limited!