Randy Wineland |
What work do you do / have you done as a volunteer ?
I am the woodworker at the Pella Historical Village , where I demonstrate working with tools from the mid-1800s . How long have you been volunteering ? I have been a volunteer at the Pella Historical Village doing yoke making and wooden shoe making demonstrations for 30 years . Why did you start volunteering ? My family has been involved in the Tulip Time festival for many years as street scrubbers . I decided to purchase my own yoke for street scrubbing from the Netherlands many years ago . Using the yoke I had
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purchased as a prototype , I made a smaller yoke for my 10-year-old son using power tools . I had done a lot of genealogy work and I began to wonder , how would our ancestors have made a yoke using only the tools they had available to them at that time ? I did some research and began looking for and buying the tools they would have used . I made a few yokes using the antique tools , and as I did , I improved the process . I informed the folks at the Pella Historical Village of what I was doing and that I could show others how it was done using tools that our ancestors would have used . Later I was able to purchase the antique tools used to |
make wooden shoes and have been showing the wooden shoe making process also . What do you love most about Tulip Time ? What I enjoy most about Tulip Time is visiting with the tourists , sharing my heritage , and showing and telling a little about what life was like for my ancestors in the Netherlands . What is your favorite food to eat at Tulip Time ? I have a craving every year for some bologna on a stick . Especially on a cool evening while watching the parade . Photo : Randy Wineland demonstrates working with tools from the mid-1800s in Pella Historical Village . |
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Jim Brandl |
What work do you do / have you done as a volunteer ?
I volunteer as a molenaar ( miller ) at the Vermeer Mill . My job during the festival starts each day with turning the mill cap , setting the sails and getting ready for the thousands of visitors who will tour the mill . Setting up the mill can be an extra challenge since it is essential to keep the walkway from the elevator to the mill floor clear since all tours use the elevator to bring guests to the 4th floor to see the mill in operation . If the wind is from the southeast it is impossible to have the mill blades turning so we pray for a gentle breeze from any other direction !
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How long have you been volunteering ? I have been running the mill every year at Tulip Time since 2002 when the mill first opened .
Why did you start volunteering ? When plans began to build an authentic Dutch mill in Pella I was asked to serve on the construction oversight committee with four other men . When we got close to completion of the Dutch millwrights building the mill asked who was going to be the molenaar . As our committee talked it over we concluded that all five of us wanted to learn how to operate this marvelous machine .
What do you love most about Tulip
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Time ?
Without a doubt my favorite part of Tulip Time is visiting with folks touring the mill . Learning where they come from , how they are enjoying Pella and answering questions they may have about the mill .
What is your favorite food to eat at Tulip Time ? Right beneath the mill stage along 1st Street is the famous Kiwanis poffertjes stand . Setting up the mill early in the morning , the smell of this Dutch treat from the stand is irresistible . So poffertjes are my favorite food followed closely by oliebollen from another nearby food stand . Photo : Jim Brandl in the Vermeer Mill .
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Amy Van Haaften |
What work do you do / have you done as a volunteer ? Currently , I volunteer as the director of the Dutchesses , a group of 16 high school girls who perform traditional Dutch song and dance in authentic costumes . I have also served on the Tulip Time Steering Committee and the Pella Historical Society Board of Directors . How long have you been volunteering ? I have been participating and volunteering at Tulip Time since I was a child . In 1974 , at the age of six , I served as a flower girl for Queen Karla DeCook . I marched with the school kids throughout elementary school , danced with the Dutch dancers in middle school , and performed |
with the Dutchesses in high school . This year marks my 20th anniversary leading the Dutchesses !
Why did you start volunteering ? I decided to help instruct the Dutchesses because I enjoyed being a member of the group and made many memories with them in high school . I feel it is important to engage our young community members , pass on our Dutch heritage and keep the next generation involved in Tulip Time .
What do you love most about Tulip Time ? The people are what I love most about Tulip Time . I enjoy sharing our Dutch heritage with our guests and
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I also love how the festival brings our community together , draws back former residents and reunites many families .
What is your favorite food to eat at Tulip Time ? Stroopwafels ! A stroopwafel is made of two thin waffle-like cookies held together with a sweet caramel filling . The traditional way to eat one is to place it on top of a hot cup of coffee until the filling is warm and gooey . There is no better way to celebrate Tulip Time than with a “ six-pack ( of stroopwafels ) and a parade !” Photo : Amy Van Haaften with her daughter , Jennifer ( Van Haaften ) Dykema , and her mother , Peggy Pierson .
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22 Tulip Time 2023 |