It’s Tulip Time in Pella, and the girl said this was a sight I needed to behold. So yesterday we drove there and experienced the festival.

We parked near the downtown and didn’t walk very far before we saw this canal that had some coins at the bottom. The girl explained that people throw coins into decorative waterways like this sometimes and make a wish. She was going to get me a penny so I could make a wish, but she got so excited about taking my picture that ultimately she forgot about the penny, so I just made a wish without one.

A few more steps and we saw this giant tulip mural. Some people stopped to talk to us because they thought it was so cute that I was getting my picture taken here.

Then we went into the main park in the town square, and there were all different kinds of tulips in all different colors. The girl’s friend loved these black ones called Nightmare.

I thought these striped ones were neat because they were so huge!

There were so many kinds, and everyone was taking pictures of them.

People had chairs and blankets set out for a parade, but we didn’t see the parade happen.

This fountain was in the park too, and behind it you can see the huge Tulip Time tower.

When we left the park we found all kinds of food vendors. We decided to try these little pancakes called poffertjes with cinnamon sugar, and they were so sweet and soft! I could have eaten my own plateful of those, but we all shared.

It was kind of chilly outside, and then it started to rain. Crowds of people huddled next to the shops, and lines stretched back forever to get into the Dutch bakeries. Suddenly everyone wanted to go inside. We didn’t mind getting wet, but someone recommended we go to the Cellar Peanut Pub, and we managed to get inside there without waiting in line.

The Cellar Peanut Pub didn’t serve food, but they let you eat as many peanuts as you want and you’re supposed to throw the shells on the floor! We ordered the Tulip Bier, which is made with real red tulips by Gezellig Brewing Company, and it was amazingly good.

The girl wanted to visit some shops and then see the craft market, which was so big that it exhausted us all. We didn’t buy anything, but we did get wet and hungry, so we stopped at Full Bloom Brewhouse in Oskaloosa on our way home. We shared a basket of pretzel bites with a mustard so stingy, the girl made big eyes and said it burned her nose.

The owners told us that the Brewhouse had only been in business for a few months even though the building was historic, and they told us we should explore the upstairs before we left. Up there we found a sack toss game that I tried out before we left for home.

Pella was so beautiful, and the food and drinks we had were so delicious, I want to go back.