Holland will happen, but Dutchier, this weekend in Oak Harbor.

The 55th anniversary of the very first Holland Happening takes place from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 27 and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 28 in downtown Oak Harbor.

In January, the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce invited the community to give ideas on what to do for one of the city’s biggest festivals, as many argued it has not felt “Dutch” in a while. So, instead of rebranding the festival, the chamber put together an event that is closer to what it used to be.

This year’s grand marshal will be Audrey Butler Henry Vanden Haak, a resident of Dutch heritage who was chosen for being a street sweeper in the past and for heading the Klompen Canal race for years, according to Cheryl Grehan, events and logistics manager for the chamber of commerce.

For the first time in 11 years, Holland Happening will bring back the art of Klompen Carving, after the chamber was successful in raising money to bring a professional wood carver, Luke Traver, who owns Luke’s Lost Arts in Wisconsin. This tradition had been carried for 20 years by the late Elmer Veldheer, who retired from the job in 2012.

Delft tiles will also make a comeback, featuring artwork by local artist Tiffany Scribner. People interested in pre-ordering a tile can call 360-675-3755 or visit the Oak Harbor Chamber Booth at the festival.

Wesley Moran, the town crier, will announce the beginning of the festivities by reading the mayor’s proclamation in Dutch and in English, while the junior town crier, middle schooler Cillian Burke, will ring the bell.

According to Moran, who is also a marketing representative at the Whidbey News-Times, the junior town crier role is being reintroduced to this year’s festival.

Starting at 11 a.m. on Saturday, community members will march in Dutch clothes and shoes while armed with sweeps and floral baskets, departing from Southeast Pioneer Way, continuing on Southeast Bayshore Drive and culminating at Southeast Pioneer Way in front of Ace Hardware.

These Dutch townspeople will be joined by the Oak Harbor High School Color Guard and the marching band, the city council, the North Whidbey Little League, the Girl Scouts, the Whidbey Playhouse and more, according to Grehan. Furthermore, she said, the Oak Harbor Intermediate School will bring a tulip-decorated car.

The Pacific Northwest Naval Air Museum will parade with a homebuilt Teenie Two, which is a 12-foot-long monoplane, and a 21-foot-replica of the USS Nimitz (CVN-68). The vessels will be escorted by Capt. Eric Hanks, commanding officer of Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, and air traffic controllers from the base, according to Public Programs Manager Kelly Davidson.

As usual, everyone is invited to the Klompen Canal race, where each participant will add a miniature wooden shoe into a bucket, which will then be dumped along with others into a canal that is about 60 feet long to compete, Grehan said. The klompen that will place first, middle and last will win a prize.

Last year, the Whidbey News-Times’ vessel, designed by Moran, successfully arrived last after capsizing.

Prospective participants have four races to choose from. Community members and visitors of all ages can race at 2 or 4 p.m. Saturday, or at noon on Sunday. Businesses — which can buy one klomp per business — will race at 2 p.m. on Sunday.

The chamber has been selling klompen on a pre-order basis, which allows racers to decorate and accessorize their shoe vessels from home before returning it to the chamber during regular business hours or 30 minutes before the race kicks off. Grehan said people can also buy and decorate the shoes the day of the festival, as it will feature a creative station.

The atmosphere will be enriched by a substantial list of musicians who will perform at the Pop Up Plaza at Pioneer Way and Dock Street. Artists include Danika Kloewer, Salad Days, Kick Brass, Bobby Silver and the FatDaddys and more.

According to Grehan, the festival will not feature the carnival, which hasn’t returned since the pandemic hit in 2020, but it will include a kid zone where children can play games.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, community members and visitors can walk through the street fair, which will feature a variety of local artists and vendors, including Scribner, PNW Vibes, Popsies and Ragamuffin’s Rock Art, as well as other Western Washington vendors like Bellinghamsters, Unsweetened Tooth and Linda’s Mini Donuts.

According to Grehan, local food duo Chef in the Black Bandana will bring boterkoek, a Dutch butter cake with an almond flavor.

While they won’t have a booth at the festival, this week Chris’ Bakery is providing Dutch treats until Saturday. According to co-owner Meg Deater, the bakery will feature banket, which is a flaky puff pastry with a special almond paste filling, oliebollen, which is a friend donut filled with raisins and apples and covered in sugar, and sugar cookies in the shape of windmills.

Other Dutch pastries offered year-round include croissants with homemade almond filling and Tompouce, or “Napoleon,” which is a puff pastry with homemade vanilla custard, whipped cream and vanilla and chocolate drizzled on top.

While Holland Happening is approaching, Grehan said the festival is still in need of volunteers. As of Monday, the event planning has seen the participation of 30 volunteers, but 70 more are needed. The sign-up link is available at oakharborchamber.com/holland-happening.