Tulip Time and LAUP partner on fireworks celebration to close annual festival

HOLLAND — Tulip Time and Latin Americans United for Progress are partnering to present Tulip Time's annual end-of-festival fireworks show.

While the celebration isn't new, LAUP is a new partner.

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“Tulip Time is an important and prominent part of the Holland community,” LAUP Executive Director Johnny Rodriguez wrote in a statement. “People from all over the state, region, and world travel to Holland for this beautiful spring festival.

"We felt that it was important to partner with Tulip Time to connect Holland’s Latino community to the festival, so that a truly equitable and diverse Tulip Time can be brought together.”

The fireworks event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Saturday, May 13, at Kollen Park. LAUP-organized musical acts including DJ Two 3, the LAUP Salsarines and Grupo Supernova will play, and children can enjoy activities and a bounce house.

Food vendors Dolce Mini Cakes, Los Mariscos De Pancho, Hotbox Tacos, Outlaw Roasted Corn, La Michoacana, Jhomary’s Paradis and Mi Favorita will also be on-site.

“Tulip Time has collaborated with LAUP in previous years with the Fiesta celebration in May,” Tulip Time Executive Director Gwen Auwerda wrote in a statement.

“Following the remodeling of the Civic Center, (we've) been exploring new ways to collaborate again. The fireworks seemed like the perfect place to partner together."

Rodriguez and Auwerda agreed the celebration is about more than Tulip Time.

“I like to think of the fireworks as a ‘bright’ ending to a wonderful week of celebration in the community,” Auwerda said. “Kind of a ‘take-back-the-town’ celebration, as most tourists have returned home.”

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The 2023 Tulip Time Festival will take place May 6-14. Learn more at tuliptime.com.

— Contact reporter Mitchell Boatman at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @SentinelMitch.

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Tulip Time and LAUP partner on fireworks celebration to close annual festival