Tulip Festival (Albany, New York) facts for kids
The Tulip Festival is a super fun event held every spring in Albany, New York. It takes place in the beautiful Washington Park. This festival celebrates the lovely tulip flower and has a rich history that goes back many years!
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How the Tulip Festival Began
The idea for the Tulip Festival started with a man named Erastus Corning 2nd, who was the Mayor of Albany. A mayor is like the leader of a city. On July 1, 1948, Mayor Corning helped pass a special rule, called a city ordinance, which officially made the tulip Albany's flower.
He then sent a letter to Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands, who was the queen of a country famous for its tulips. He asked her to choose a special tulip variety to be Albany's official flower. Just ten days later, on July 11, 1948, Queen Wilhelmina replied! She happily agreed and picked a tulip called "Orange Wonder." This tulip is about 18 inches tall, has orange shades, and a scarlet red color in the middle. It's a bit rare and grows slowly.
First Festival and Traditions
The very first Tulip Festival was held the next year, on May 14, 1949. Many of the traditions from that first festival are still part of the celebration today! One special tradition is the "sweeping of State Street," where people symbolically sweep the street to welcome spring. Another important tradition is the crowning of a "Tulip Queen." This person is chosen to represent the festival and the city.
In 1997, the festival celebrated its 50th anniversary! To mark this big milestone, the state of New York named Albany the "I Love New York Spring Destination." This meant Albany was a top spot to visit in the spring. Also for the 50th anniversary, a new type of tulip was found in the Netherlands. It was related to the original "Orange Wonder" tulip and was named "City of Albany" in honor of the festival.
More Festival Fun
Over the years, the Tulip Festival has grown to include even more traditions. The African-American tradition of Pinksterfest was added to the Tulip Fest. Pinksterfest is an old Dutch celebration that has been celebrated for a very long time. Since 1998, the Tulip Fest has also included the "Mother of the Year" award, celebrating amazing moms in the community.
Images for kids
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Beautiful tulips in bloom
