ORANGE CITY, Iowa (KCAU)– The tulips are in full bloom in Northwest Iowa and that means the return of the Orange City Tulip Festival. This is the 82nd year for the celebration of Dutch heritage, including costumes, dances, food and more.

The three-day festival attracts thousands of people from around the world.

“Each year just gets better and better, we’re coming off of like, 3 awesome years of the tulip festival,” Amanda Lemke, a performer and information worker with the Tulip Festival said. “We’ve had record number crowds, it’s just so fun to see the town come alive.”

Amanda Lemke works at the information booth for the festival and has grown up in Orange City. KCAU 9 asked Lemke what her favorite part of the Tulip Festival is.

“Well, I’m in the night show, so that’s always my favorite part of the tulip festival is the shows we do at night but also just the food,” Lemke said.

The night show is a play or musical that caps off each day of the festival. This year’s night show is Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice. While many of the Tulip Festival’s activities are free, tickets for the night show must be purchased at the Orange City Town Hall.