Holland, Michigan, USA: August 21, 2003: The tulip has been the jewel of Holland's celebrative Tulip Time festival for decades. The festival's 75th celebration in May, 2004 will be no different, highlighted by a logo that combines the hallmark tulip with a sparkling diamond.

The logo was unveiled Monday, August 18th, during a membership appreciation reception hosted by the West Michigan Tourist Association (WMTA) at Dutch Village in Holland.

"Since it's beginning, Tulip Time has been a celebration of the tulip. Thousands of tulips line Holland's streets, fill city parks, and adorn resident's yards," noted Tulip Time Board Chair Grace Piersma. "Our diamond anniversary event will bring that into focus more than ever with hundreds of thousands of tulips added to the several million that are already planted."

The logo was designed by Wes Wooley, a freelance graphic artist from Holland who also designed the community's sesquicentennial logo in 1997 through the Image Group.

"Wes did a splendid job of responding to the planning committee's challenge that the festival's trademark Tulip Time logo remain integral to the diamond celebration logo while providing an opportunity for it to have its own distinctive identity," said Larry Van Liere, immediate past chair of Tulip Time who is chairing the 75th anniversary committee.

"WMTA was tremendously pleased to have the opportunity to showcase one of its members at our reception, especially something as monumental as the unveiling of Tulip Time's 75th anniversary logo," said WMTA president Linda Singer. "Festivals like Tulip Time contribute significantly to Michigan's $12.5 billion tourism industry. WMTA is proud to be a part of promoting such events each year."

The 2004 Tulip Time will be held May 1-8 with many special activities, both prior to and during the festival, focusing on the history of the celebration and the Dutch heritage of the Holland community.

In 1927, a biology teacher at Holland High School, Lida Rogers, suggested the planting of flowers as a community beautification project. The idea caught on and the community's predominantly Dutch residents quickly settled on the tulip as the appropriate flower. The following year, the city imported bulbs from he Netherlands and planted them along street curbs and in parks. When they bloomed the following year, visitor response was so encouraging that the program was augmented. Tulip Time was born and except for a temporary suspension during World War II, the spring celebration has become one of the nation's leading festivals. It has been recognized as one of the top 20 international festivals in the world and one of the top three flower festivals in North America.

With millions of tulips already in the ground, residents are being urged to plant even more to bring the community-wide total to an appropriate 7.5 million for the 75th celebration.