We Need Your Help
The Tulip Festival is Orange City’s annual springtime gift to friends everywhere!
Although the festival appears to run like clockwork, it takes hundreds of volunteers working year-round to put it together. We need YOU and your gifts to preserve this celebration of our rich cultural heritage.
Complete the form below, and we will be in touch with more details.
Join Us
Tulip Festival Volunteer Roles
- Adult Dutch Dancer
Perform traditional Dutch dances in authentic costume during festival events. Requires attending practice/rehearsals and familiarity with dance routines. - Assist with Float Riders
Meet riders to instruct them on which float they will be riding. Help them with safety and guidance for the riding/parade route, and where their parents can pick them up following the parade. - Century Home Volunteer
Greeting visitors, sharing information about its history, and helping guide tours. - City Bus Tour Guide
Lead bus tours of Orange City during the festival: provide historical and cultural commentary (script provided), point out landmarks, and manage guest questions. - Children’s Dutch Dance Supervisor
Oversee youth dance groups: coordinate practice sessions, ensure safety, and assist during performances.
- Craft Show Volunteer:
Assist with vendor applications, approvals, and booth placements. Work with the promotion chair to communicate with vendors, provide reminders, and help promote the show. Be available during the festival.
- Dutch Heritage Boosters
Flag Carrying (Dutch costume required) — Carry a flag representing one of the Dutch provinces during the Parade of Flags in the afternoon Tulip Festival Parade.
Heritage Walk or Push a Cart (Dutch costume required) — Walk with the group or help push carts representing a traditional Dutch street market (such as poffertjes, cheese, sewing materials, and other Dutch items) through the parade route.
- Dutch street organ
Operate or assist with the festival’s Dutch street organ. Training is provided. - Float Driver
Drive one of the festival floats in the parades. Must meet driver requirements (licensing, possibly training), follow the route, and ensure float safety. - Horse-drawn Trolley Tour Guide
Accompany horse-drawn trolley tours: narrate history, point out sights, assist with boarding/unloading, and ensure guest safety. (script provided) - Mode Show Participant
Participate in a fashion or costume show modeling authentic Dutch Kelderdracht. The Mode Show takes place at 1:00 pm each day of the festival. - Night Show – General Help
Provide general support during nightly performances: helping with seating, ushering guests, backstage assistance, audience flow, and more! - Night Show Stage Crew
Backstage/behind scenes support for the night shows: setting up and taking down stage props/scenery, assisting with lighting/sound crews, moving set pieces, cleaning up, and ensuring the show runs smoothly. - Parade Announcer
Provide commentary during the parades: introduce floats, explain entries, share festival history, keep the audience informed about the schedule and special participants. (script provided.) - Pedicab Driver
Operate a pedicab carrying guests around key festival zones (downtown, Stadscentrum, etc.). Provide safe and friendly rides! - Stadscentrum Host
Serve as a welcoming presence in the Stadscentrum area (festival’s downtown or “city center”): provide information, assist visitors with directions/services, and help with events happening in the area. - Street Barker
Speak to the crowds announcing events, parades, or other festival attractions; encourage people to attend/take part; distribute flyers or direct foot traffic to event locations. (information provided) - Reserved Parade Seating Usher
Manage the reserved seating sections for parade viewers: help guests find their seats, ensure seating is organized, maintain order, and check tickets. - Road Race Volunteer
Assist with the road race portion: handing out water, managing aid stations, guiding runners, ensuring safety (traffic control or barricades), and helping at start/finish lines. - Windmill Information Booth
Staff the information booth located at the replica windmill in Windmill Park: provide maps, schedules, directions; answer questions; hand out brochures. - Wooden Shoe Carver
Demonstrate or assist in carving authentic wooden shoes. Training provided. Interact with visitors about the craft.
