For the fourth year in a row, Windmill Island will operate into October

HOLLAND — For the fourth year in a row, Windmill Island Gardens has extended its season into October, after seeing more than 130,000 guests in 2024.

“We are blown away by the amount of people choosing Holland as a vacation destination, many of whom make the trek to visit us,” General Manager Matt Helmus wrote in a release.

This year's numbers won't eclipse the all-time record set in 2023, but Helmus feels they would've, if not for an early tulip bloom .

According to notes from greeter David Blauw, guests this year came from as far as Luxembourg, Yemen, Guinea-Bissau and the Czech Republic. He counted a total of 91 other countries. More locals and tourists, Helmus said, are coming to see the annuals and perennials beyond Tulip Time, leading to larger crowds in the summer and fall months.

This fall, Windmill Island will once again host an artisan market as part of Holland's Fall Fest. During the event, 85 local vendors will showcase arts and crafts on Oct. 4-5.

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After that, the park will remain open Fridays-Sundays through Oct. 20 at a reduced admission price of $5. During this time, many of the park’s staff will plant over 168,000 tulip bulbs for Tulip Time 2025.

As the holidays near, the park will focus on Magic at the Mill, a weekend event in December with a tulip field of 1,000 LED blossoms. There's a light and music show and other holiday activities. Last year, 10,000 guests visited the park for the event.

Learn more at windmillisland.com .

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at ametz@hollandsentinel.com .

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: For the fourth year in a row, Windmill Island will operate into October