Celebrate your heritage at Dutch Days festival in Fulton

Get ready for wooden shoes, Klompen dancers and a celebration of old-world heritage along the banks of the Mississippi River from May 3 to 5.

The charming town of Fulton, Illinois, is gearing up for its annual Dutch Days festival, an extravaganza honoring the city’s rich history. Immerse yourself in Dutch culture at the 50th anniversary of the popular event, which has been held the first weekend of May every year since 1974.

This year’s theme is “The History of KLM: The Royal Dutch Airlines,” which will feature presentations by John Van Der Bleek at the Masonic Lodge, 1014 Fourth St., at noon Friday, May 3, and at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday, May 4.

Guests can browse Dutch treasures from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Friday and 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday at the Masonic Lodge. Other all-day events on Friday include more than 100 arts and crafts vendors on First and Third streets and on 10th Avenue, food and concessions in the downtown area, De Immigrant Windmill tours at 10th Avenue and First Street and a tractor show at First Street and 10th Avenue. Check out the Dutch costume presentation at 1:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge, followed by a wood shoe carving demonstration following the costume presentation at 2:30 p.m. Dutch Klompen dancing begins at 5 p.m. on Fourth Street. Other Friday events include Dutch films and other presentations.

The Dutch Days 5K Race starts at 8:30 a.m. Saturday, which kicks off a full day of entertainment and events. The pedal tractor pull begins at 9:30 a.m., and the Stippling display opens at 9:30 a.m. and continues until 4:30 p.m. at the Masonic Lodge. Other fun-filled events include Chalk the Dike, Hindeloopen painting display, Klompen dancing, bounce houses, train rides and much more. Street scrubbing begins at 2:30 p.m. on Fourth Street from Ninth to 13th avenues, to make sure the streets are ready for the parade, which steps off at 3 p.m.

Events on Sunday, May 5, include De Immigrant Windmill tours from 1 to 5 p.m. at First Street and 10th Avenue.

For more information, visit the Fulton Dutch Days Facebook page.