2020 was a year of uncertainty and disappointment. Most things that make life more than simple survival had to be set aside, forcing a pause to many annual traditions. Among those traditions was the celebration of Dutch heritage in the Village of Cedar Grove in the southeast corner of Sheboygan County.
Beth Heuver is a member of the Holland Guild which organizes the annual Holland Festival. We caught up with her as she was rehearsing her crew of traditional “Klompen Dancers” earlier this month, and she says that for her, “…is a family thing. My dad was on the guild back in the early…the 60s and 70s, and the Heuvers have always been involved.”
Like so many other things, Holland Festival had to be cancelled last year, which Heuver called “scary different”, and the absence became an emotional issue. But the return of Holland Fest this year was equally as emotional. Heuver said “With practices and starting things again, you hear it from all of the people, ‘Thank you! Thank goodness there’s gonna be a Holland Festival this year!’”
Planning began as usual, in January this year, but it wasn’t until March that the Holland Guild committed to a full festival. And at that point, Heuver said, it felt like all the traditions of a small village had survived the pandemic. “I think that the Holland Festival is something that is a “touchstone”…it’s a touchstone in so many lives. I have family, my mother’s family is strewn to the four winds. They make an effort to come home for the Holland Festival. It is homecoming…it is just that place that where, yeah, that is- it always is.”
With its return, visitors can expect many things that make Holland Festival unique among Wisconsin’s many celebrations, including street cleaning follwoed by the Klompen Dancers both on Friday at 3 o’clock and on Saturday at 1. And for hungry festival goers, Heuver said that there will many options including some traditional Dutch treats such as “Wurstebroten and Ollebollen and Snerts, and from what I hear, Dutch Apple Bread, and ooh, so many good things!”
There’s one other unique feature of this festival to keep in mind. Holland Festival is an alcohol-free event. But as Heuver pointed out, “…that hasn’t made a difference – the crowds are big, and the people are happy.”
The 74th annual Holland Festival runs Friday, July 23rd and Saturday, July 24th, and you can find more details at holland-festival.com
Comments