The Tulip Festival in Detroit’s Backyard

It seems like I associate tulips and Holland... maybe it's because I grew up in Michigan. Chances are good you're at least familiar with the tulip festival in Holland... either Michigan, Denmark, or both. Denmark's largest tulip festival actually happens in Gavnø, not Holland, but still... Denmark is known for tulips.

Holland, Michigan has been holding their Tulip Time festival since 1929! It's definitely the biggest tulip festival in Michigan and it's only 2.5 hours away and yet I don't seem to have found my way there despite living in Michigan most of my life. It rolls up and I say, "Next year!" and next year rolls around and I don't go again.

I recently discovered a tulip festival and it's in Detroit's backyard! I'm talking about the tulip festival that happens at DeBuck's Family Farm in Belleville. This year we went out to see it for Rockin' Road Trips and it was a beautiful day. The weather was perfect and the tulips were spectacular.

The first tulip festival took place in 2024 with about 375,000 tulip blooms over four acres. Rockin' Road Trips went to opening day of the festival this year and we are reporting back with good things. Here's how it works: You buy your tickets online, in advance. DeBuck's is now a cashless operation. Guests take a wagon ride out to the acres of tulip fields. You hang out and take selfies as long as you like. You take the wagon ride back to the front. DeBuck's family friendly activities and games are open for kids of all ages. :)

Like all tulip festivals, they're open for a very limited time because that's how the blooming cycle of tulips work. The 2025 DeBuck's Tulip Festival dates: April 30th - May 7th. DeBuck's also has a "You Pick" counter where you can pick as many tulips as you can fit in the mason jars DeBuck's provides for you.

DeBuck's next festival is their Lavender Festival. They also have a sunflower festival and every Fall, DeBuck's rolls it all out for their Fall Festival featuring their giant corn maze and all kinds of Fall activities including a pumpkin patch.

Leo and Eleanor DeBuck married in 1943 and started their life together as vegetable farmers in Mt Clemens. By 1956, they had 5 kids… then surprise! They had twins Alan and Arlene and Eleanor told Leo, “You’re going to need to find a way to replace me in the fields.” People of that generation were so much tougher than we are today. I would have been asking to be taken out of the field after kid number one. lol

They had just moved into a home with a big front yard that needed grass. Leo was surprised at how pricey blue grass seed was but also impressed with the quality. So he became a sod farmer and eventually so did all 5 of his sons. The DeBuck family owns sod farms in Michigan, Wisconsin and New York. Norman opened his in Belleville. New Lawn Sod Farm is still owned and operated by the DeBuck family. Norman's son's Eric and Scott run DeBuck's today.