Tuesday marked the opening of the 45th annual Nederland Heritage Festival. Hundreds of people flooded Boston Ave in Nederland to ride rides, play midway games and get some delicious fair food. But how many people attending, actually knew what heritage was being celebrated at the Festival?
“Um, I honestly don’t know so I can’t guess,” said 9 year-old Blake Richard.
Maybe a heritage festival veteran would know. Chris Kolb has been attending the festival for since the 1980’s. He was quick to answer.
“We are celebrating the Dutch heritage,” said Kolb. “This is where Nederland was founded, here from the Dutch.”
Kolb was spot on. Nederland was founded in 1897 by Dutch settlers from the Netherlands. But would anyone know what the name “Nederland” actually meant and why the festival has been an annual event for 45 years?
Grace Baber, the chairman of the Nederland heritage festival, was quick to give a history lesson.
“Nederland is named after the low lands of the Netherlands,” said Baber. “That’s what Nederland means. The heritage festival started out, when they had their Diamond Jubilee, which was a 50 year celebration for Nederland, that was such a success, they wanted to have something every year in the spring. That’s how the Nederland heritage festival was born.”
The Heritage Festival will be open until Sunday at 6 p.m.