Oak Harbor's Holland Happening
Western Washington Celebration on Whidbey Island Means Family Fun
When residents of Oak Harbor, Washington, say "Let's go Dutch," you can be pretty sure that they mean it -- especially during the last weekend of April.
That's when the tulips bloom, Old Country costumes come out of storage and cooks stir up the huge quantities of traditional dishes that make the little city on northern Whidbey Island's Holland Happening a real Dutch treat for residents and visitors alike.
The people from the Netherlands weren't actually the area's first settlers from Europe. But so many of them came in the 1890s that now in the telephone directory, names like Koetje, Van Dyck, Fakkema and DeGroot are almost as common as Smith and Jones.
Dutch Dishes
First of the festival's Dutch-flavored events is a dinner prepared each year by members of the First Reformed Church. An hour before the doors are scheduled to open, the line begins forming outside the church's social hall. Served cafeteria-style, the meal features erwtensoep (pea soup), hutspot (a tasty combination of mashed potatoes, onion and carrots), gehakt ballejes met jus (meatballs with gravy), two salads, and roggebrood met kaas (rye bread topped with paper-thin slices of cheese), ollie bollen (raisin-filled doughnuts), coffee and punch. If you miss the Friday night dinner, you can still get a taste of Holland at food vendors’ stalls and the town bakeries, where spice cookies shaped like windmills are the specialty.
The Grand Parade
Leading the Saturday morning Folks Parade in front of the color guard are the street scrubbers -- Dutch-costumed men and women wielding push brooms. Not far behind is the Grand Mar shall's float, which each year bears people of Dutch heritage who have contributed to their state and/or community. Grand Marshalls range from state and local officials to "Washington State's Dairy Family of the Year." The float is followed by the Parade of the Provinces -- marchers in costumes representing the various provincial districts of the Netherlands.
The parade route isn't a long one -- less than a mile along the town's main street, Pioneer Drive. But it’s long enough for the tiny baton twirlers, Brownie Scouts, elementary school folk dance groups and a variety of kiddies in costumes ranging from hula skirts to Mickey Mouse costumes.
Folk Dance Festival
Since a whole program of dancing might become repetitious -- there's only so much a dancer wearing wooden shoes can do -- the folk dance festival on Saturday afternoon showcases dancers from such ethnic groups as the Finns, the Irish, Scottish and Filipinos presenting 20-minute performances. Between segments, models ranging from pre-schoolers to grandmothers, wear costumes from various parts of the Netherlands.
Added Attractions
Through the years – the April 28-29, 2008 celebration will be the 39th – a variety of events have been added. This year they will include a family carnival, pancake breakfast, 5K run, garden club flower show, an art walk, canal boat race and authentic Dutch shoe carver. For additional information, you can contact the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce at oakharborchamber.
Oak Harbor Windmill stands in a pretty park
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Dancers participate in ethnic dance festival
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Parade features floats, marchers in Dutch costumes
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Residents of Dutch descent wear family costumes
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