Yes, this year's Tulip Time will have a bicycle valet service

HOLLAND — Bikes will be at the forefront of Tulip Time 2024, and one local organization is doing their part to ensure riders have a safe place to stash their wheels.

Velo Kids will offer the festival’s first-ever bike valet service.

Similar to a coat check at a restaurant, the free service will give locals and tourists an opportunity to drop their bikes to be tagged and safely stored while they enjoy downtown festivities.

“We have seen bike valets in other communities for larger festivals and have always thought it would be so fun to bring to our community,” said Velo Kids Executive Director Jenny White. “As soon as we saw the ‘Bikes and Blooms’ theme for Tulip Time 2024, we knew this would be the year."

The service will be available 5-8:30 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday, May 2-11, with extended hours running 12-8:30 p.m. on parade days, at the corner of Central Avenue and W. 10th Street.

Tulip Time’s Gwen Auwerda said she's thrilled to have the valet service at this year’s festival.

“Our theme of ‘Bikes and Blooms’ is a nod to the Netherlands, where 98 percent of the population gets around by bicycle,” Auwerda wrote in a release. “It's their main mode of transportation. Now you can ride downtown and valet your bike while visiting the parks, watching Dutch Dance or a parade.”

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The organization will also present Pedals in the Park from 1-3 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at Kollen Park. The event offers family-friendly, bicycle-based activities, a photo booth and more.

Learn more at velo-kids.org/bike-valet.

— Contact reporter Austin Metz at [email protected].

This article originally appeared on The Holland Sentinel: Yes, this year's Tulip Time will have a bicycle valet service