Making Shoes At The Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival

Activities at the 2021 Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm may vary from the ones discussed in this article. Check out how to experience the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival during COVID-19 and learn about all of the activities offered.

We always talk about how gorgeous the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival is, and for good reason. It's amazing! Acres and acres of tulips of every known variety.

But the amazing thing about the festival is there is so much more happening there as well. Great kids' activities, delicious food, numerous vendors, wine tasting and wooden shoe making demonstrations are just a few of the additional things happening that make it so easy to spend a whole day at the festival. 

Nels, who is part of the Iverson clan that owns and operates the Wooden Shoe Tulip Farm, can tell you all about how to make wooden shoes. Nels first learned when needing to take over for the prior gentleman who demonstrated at the festival, as he was retiring. What started out as a "had to do" turned into a "want to do," as Nels now makes shoes as a hobby. He finds it relaxing. In just minutes, you can see the shape of the shoe coming to life out of what was a block of Poplar wood just a few moments ago. He can make a medium sized shoe in as little as 15 minutes, while it takes only a few hours for a pair of full sized shoes that can be worn. And they really can be worn; just look at Nel's feet for confirmation there. 

Heading to the festival this year? Be sure to use our #omht hashtag when sharing the amazing photos you'll get on your social channels.