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The Scene

Dutch Days Festival returns to Fulton May 1-2

With brooms in hand, youngsters scrub clean the street Saturday, May 3, 2025, ahead of the Fulton Dutch Days parade.

With brooms in hand, youngsters scrub clean the street Saturday, May 3, 2025, ahead of the Fulton Dutch Days parade. (Alex T. Paschal)

By Aimee Barrows

Celebrate all things Dutch at Fulton’s annual Dutch Days Festival May 1-2.

Each year, this family-friendly event celebrates the area’s rich Dutch history. Fulton, which is located along the Mississippi River across from Clinton, Iowa, has been holding Dutch Days the first weekend in May since 1974.

A youngster tosses a bucket of water onto the streets of Fulton Saturday, May 3, 2025, as the traditional cleaning of the parade route takes place during Fulton’s Dutch Days.

A youngster tosses a bucket of water onto the streets of Fulton Saturday, May 3, 2025, as the traditional cleaning of the parade route takes place during Fulton’s Dutch Days. (Alex T. Paschal)

This year’s theme is “USA & The Netherlands: Celebrating 250 Years of Friendship.” The Netherlands officially recognized the united colonies as the United States of America on April 19, 1782.

The event will feature Dutch folk art, Dutch clothing, Dutch food, traditional Klompen dancers with wooden shoes, Dutch street scrubbing, lace making demonstrations, tours of “de Immigrant” windmill, a 5K race and much more. The city’s Masonic Lodge will have displays of Dutch artifacts and will also show films about the Netherlands.

The festival will also have a classic car display, a tractor show, pedal tractor pull, petting zoo, bounce houses, train rides, games and performances from local school choirs.

Street scrubbing, one of the most anticipated events of the festival, is at 2:30 p.m. Saturday, followed by the Dutch Days parade at 3 p.m.

For more information, including a full schedule of events, visit Fulton Dutch Days’ Facebook page.

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Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows

Aimee Barrows is the editor of The Scene, Shaw Local News Network's entertainment section. The Scene is your go-to destination for all things fun in Northern Illinois. Prior to The Scene, Aimee was the editor of the Kane County Chronicle for five years, and a freelance reporter for Shaw Media for four years.