Tulip Time 2023 will feature musicians on bicycles wearing wooden … – HollandSentinel.com

HOLLAND — A group of musicians who play their instruments in formation on bicycles while wearing wooden shoes is coming to the U.S. for the first time ever.

Bicycle Showband Crescendo is one of the newest additions to the 2023 Tulip Time Festival, slated for May 6-14 in Holland.

Crescendo will perform at Ray Smith Stadium at 11 a.m., 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Friday, May 12; 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, May 13; and 11 a.m. Sunday, May 14. The band will also join the Quality Car Wash Volksparade at 2 p.m. May 13. Performances are free to attend.

Members of Crescendo will bring their instruments, traditional Volendam (Dutch) costumes and bicycles to Holland. The award-winning band has performed in Europe and Asia, but Holland will mark the group’s first visit to the U.S. 

Tulip Time Executive Director Gwen Auwerda was introduced to the group during a visit to the Netherlands in 2019.

“I was blown away by what they were doing,” she said. 

Also new this year, the Tulip Time Run will partner with the Holland Haven Marathon to create the Double Dutch Challenge. Any runner who registers for and completes the 2023 Tulip Time Run on May 6 and the 2023 Holland Haven Marathon on Sept. 10 will be awarded the Double Dutch Challenge Medal.

Runners can compete in any distance race, except the Kids Fun Run, to qualify — as long as they’ve completed one distance for each race. Runners can register for the Tulip Time Run at tuliptime.com/run and the Holland Haven Marathon at hollandhavenmarathon.com.

“It’s just another fun way to give our runners something a little different to aspire to,” Auwerda said.

Tulip Time is also looking for volunteers — it’ll need more than 800 to assist with parking, shows and parades during the festival — and reminds quilters to begin preparing their quilts for the 2023 Tulip Time Quilt Show. Applications are due April 1.

Learn more about volunteering, quilting, running and Crescendo at tuliptime.com.

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“We’re going to have a great 2023,” Auwerda said. “We’re really excited to pull it all together and have our visitors come experience Holland.” 

— Contact reporter Evan Sasiela at esasiela@sentinel-standard.com. Follow him on Twitter @SalsaEvan.