Holland 160th celebration accents free fun for families

The Town of Holland will celebrate its 160th anniversary this weekend as part of its annual townwide celebration, Hollandfest.

A lot will be packed into the three-day festival that opens Friday, Sept. 13 at 5 p.m. with the opening ceremony at the Henke Pavilion in Holland American Legion Park. Dubois County Councilman Jerry Hunefeld will open the fest with comments on the town’s earliest history. 

The opening ceremony will also include the traditional carton of milk toast, special recognitions, as well as the unveiling of the 2019 edition of the Holland Fest commemorative ornament. Following the unveiling of the ornament, bids will be taken for ornament #1 of the numbered 100 commemoratives. Each year the ornament recognizes a feature of the town of Holland.

Holland 160th anniversary celebrates the town’s platting by Henry Kunz. Kunz platted his town in 1859 in the center of a growing German community and named it Holland honoring the nation where many of the early German settlers raised money to pay for their journey to the United States. 

“While we do not know Henry Kunz’s vision for the town he established 160 years ago, one assumes he thought of his family by establishing his home on the ‘main corner’ of the new community,” said Lee Bilderback, town historian.

Kunz placed his business along the area’s major road, the Huntingburg-Boonville Road. He eventually realized a town would help his business, so he had it platted and began to sell lots

Kunz’s business remained an anchor of the town for generations and grew to include general merchandise, hardware, a post office, and a photography studio.

Holland in 2019 continues Kunz’s lead with an ongoing focus on family with the investments that have been made in the Holland Park, Holland Commons as well as the town’s water improvements and support for the school, according to Bilderback.

“It is awesome to see young families spending time in the wooded Holland park while their children play on one of the new playsets or grandparents laughing as their grandchildren hug one of the cow figures in Holland Commons,” he said. “The Windmill Chill has grown into an area family gathering area with its ice cream and unique atmosphere.”

“With another business preparing to open soon, and investment in current companies, it appears Kunz’s town has much to celebrate heading into the 2020s,” Bilderback added.

The festival will run all weekend (Sept 13-15) with several special events including a 5K & kids fun run, parade, FREE live entertainment, fireworks display, wood carving shows, unique food stands, horseshoe-corn hole & basketball tournaments, a community church service and so much more.

According to Andrea Peters, president of the Holland Events Committee, one of the highlights of the festival is a special dueling piano concert from Howl at the Moon. The high-energy live music show Saturday evening is centered around dance hits and party anthems designed to get the audience dancing in no time.

It’s taken the group about three years to get the Chicago-based group to come to the festival for a great performance Saturday starting at 8:30 p.m. and going until midnight.

Peters said the committee is proud of the fact that there are a tremendous number of free activities for folks to have fun at thanks to the many sponsors of the festival. For example, there will be a free kids fun zone featuring inflatables, mazes and more. The free play area is for kids of all ages — 2-years-old to high school age. Not to mention the free entertainment for the kids that is available throughout the weekend.

There will be plenty of food booths from local nonprofits and organizations and proceeds from those booths help support those groups in the community.

Keg tossing, silly safari, The parade, chainsaw carving, music and food; there’s plenty to see and do this weekend at the 160th Anniversary Holland Fest.

Friday

5 p.m. — Opening celebration at Henke Stadium and food, game and craft booths open

5:30 p.m. — Bear Hollow Chainsaw Wood Carving show — East side of the park.

6 p.m. to midnight — Beer Garden — Tennis Court

6 to 9 p.m. — Kids Fun Zone opens — Windmill

6 to 8 p.m. — Sparrow and Crandall performing at German American Bank Main Stage

7 p.m. — Horseshoe Tournament — Horseshoe pit, northside of the park.

7:30 p.m. — Bear Hollow Chainsaw Wood Carving Show — East side of the park

8 to 9 p.m. — Cash Prize Bingo (25 cent entry) — Henke Stadium

8 p.m. to midnight — Eighty Sixt concert — German American Bank Main Stage.

Saturday

8 to 10 a.m. — Farm to Table Breakfast — Henke Stadium

8 a.m. — Tulip Trot 5K and Kids Fun Run — Henke Stadium

9 a.m. — Food, games and craft booths open — Midway

9:30 to 10:30 a.m. — Free kid’s games — Large shelter house

10 a.m. — Happy Tails Dog Show — Henke Stadium

11 a.m. — 3-on-3 Basketball Tournament — Basketball court

11 a.m. — Bear Hollow Chainsaw Wood Carving Show — East side of park

11 a.m. — Kiddie Tractor Pull — West side of tennis courts

11 a.m. — Kids Fun Zone opens — Windmill

12 p.m. — Ice Cream Eating contest — Henke Stadium

1 p.m. — Bear Hollow Chainsaw Carving Show — East side of the park.

2 p.m. — 160th Parade through downtown Holland.

2 p.m. — Registration open for WBDC Cornhole Tourney — Outfield

3 p.m. — WBDC Cornhole Tourney — Outfield

4 p.m. — Bear Hollow Chainsaw Wood Carving Show — East side of Park

4 p.m. — Registration for Keg Toss opens –Volleyball court

4:30 p.m. — Keg Toss contest — Volleyball court

4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. – Silly Safaris (North Pole theme) — Henke Stadium

5 p.m. — Horseshoe Tournament — Northside Horseshoe Pit

6 p.m. to midnight — Beer Garden open — Tennis Court

7 p.m. — Hot Air Balloon — Outfield

5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. — Sparrow and Crandall Concert — Tennis Court

7 p.m. — Bear Hollow Chainsaw Wood Carving Show — East side of the park

8:30 p.m. to midnight — Howl at the Moon Concert — German American Main Stage. During the intermission of the Howl at the Moon Concert, there will be a fireworks show.

Sunday

10 a.m. — Community Church Service — Henke Stadium

11 a.m. — Food booths open — Midway

11 a.m. — Holland Legion dinners — Henke Stadium

11:30 a.m. — Raffle winners announced — Henke Stadium

We mistakenly indicated the parade was on Sunday when it is actually on Saturday. The article has been corrected.