More Than Tulips: Windmill Island Gardens

If you grew up near Holland, there's a good chance Windmill Island Gardens lives somewhere in your memories. Maybe it was a third-grade field trip or a photo in front of De Zwaan. For a lot of people, the Island is a memory more than a destination. Andy Bork, Programs Coordinator at Windmill Island Gardens, is on a mission to change that.

From Farmers Markets to Full Bloom

Andy spent her first three years with the City of Holland rotating between roles, splitting her time between Downtown Holland/Farmer’s Market and Windmill Island Gardens. Both were worlds she loved, each in its own way. "Working downtown is so different from Windmill Island Gardens," she says, and she means it as a compliment to both. When the opportunity came to move to Windmill Island Gardens full-time, she took it (even though she says she misses downtown; she still pops into meetings now and then. “They can’t get rid of me!”) 

Since she started, she has been focused on one big goal: getting people to experience the Island outside of Tulip Time. That meant rebuilding the event calendar, growing her team, and dreaming up programming that would reach people who might not otherwise think to visit. A 5K for the runners. Bark in the Park for the dog people. Something for everyone, every season.

Not Just for Tulip Time

The main thing Andy wants everyone to know? Windmill Island Gardens is open from mid-April through October, and it is beautiful the entire time. The park spans 36 acres and features thousands of annuals and perennials planted throughout. There is a native pollinator garden developed in partnership with the MSU Master Gardener Program, a community garden with 49 plots, Friesian horses grazing the grounds in the summer months, and a nearly mile-long walking loop through woods, wetlands, and waterways. And yes, there is the legendary De Zwaan windmill, the last windmill permitted to leave the Netherlands, which has been turning and grinding grain since 1965.

Andy is quick to point out that the Island sometimes gets unfairly pigeonholed as a Tulip Time destination. And while the tulip fields in late April and early May are genuinely spectacular, they are just the opener. "Windmill Island Gardens is not just for tourists," she says. "We're open April through October, and it's such a beautiful place all year."

A Dream Job, Found by Accident

Andy revealed that she seriously considered elementary education; in fact, she started a degree in it before something didn't quite click. For years, her friends told her she should go into event management. "I ran events all my life, but it never crossed my mind I could do that for a job," she says. When she finally made the leap, everything fell into place. "I feel so lucky that I have my dream job already."

Her superpower in that dream job? Thinking on her feet. Events, by nature, don't always go as planned, and Andy thrives in that space. She will have a plan B through Z ready to go, and she stays calm when things shift. Creativity and adaptability are the through line in everything she does on the Island.

Bringing the Community Home

One of Andy's favorite parts of her job is a specific kind of moment: when someone walks in and says, "I haven't been here since I was a kid." That's the visitor she most wants to win back, and also the one she most wants to surprise. A lot has changed at Windmill Island Gardens, and there is so much more to discover than people realize.

And for Holland residents specifically, there is genuinely no barrier to entry. If your driver's license says Holland, you get in free every day the park is open. Andy sees events and programming as the vehicle for reaching totally new audiences, but she wants the Island to feel like a community backyard, not just a tourist attraction. Her dream for the park is simple: more programs, more events, something new every season.

Working in a Floral Wonderland

When asked what her favorite spot on the Island is, Andy doesn't hesitate. It's the flower beds on the main campus, right before you cross the bridge. They are redesigned every year, always bright, always colorful, and they are the first thing she walks past every single morning on her way into work.

^ actual projects Andy has worked on!

Andy Outside the Island

When Andy is not coordinating programs and dreaming up new ways to get people through the gates, she keeps herself busy in a very “grandmotherly way”, she calls it. She loves anything crafty, but especially junk journaling and sewing. She also loves a good word search and her cats. And of course her four nieces and nephews, whom she tries to visit as often as she can.

One of her nieces, on a recent visit to the Island, asked Andy where her bed was. She had fully assumed her aunt lived in the windmill. Honestly, given how much Andy loves this place, it's not the worst guess.

When she’s exploring, Andy is partial to visiting Mt. Pisgah and Rosey Mound, the tucked-away county park near Grand Haven that rewards you with a lot of stairs and a hidden beach worth every single step.

Plan Your Visit

Windmill Island Gardens is open mid-April through October. Admission is $13 for adults and $6 for youth ages 3 to 15 (different rates apply during Tulip Time). Holland residents visit for free with a valid Michigan driver's license. You can find the full event calendar, membership information, and more at windmillisland.com (and yes, we did build this website in collaboration with Andy and her team).