dutch treat travel pella iowa

Dutch Culture

A history of pella.

Dutch Adventures

From the tallest working grain windmill in the United States to the iconic Tulip Toren, browse our favorite Dutch adventures in Pella!

Experience our Dutch Heritage!

Come and visit the Pella Historical Society Museums and Vermeer Windmill . The Vermeer Windmill is the tallest working grain windmill in the United States! Enjoy a guided tour showcasing the ingenuity and history behind these impressive structures, and view Pella from the observation desk. Then meander through 21 other buildings forming the Historical Village, including a blacksmith shop, wooden shoe maker shop, puppet theater, church, bakery, and the childhood home of Wyatt Earp.

Dutch for Foodies

From traditional meat markets to chocolate shops to bakeries, foodies will love the Dutch dining options in Pella!

Pella's Historical Lodging

With homes built as early as 1856, visitors can stay in historic houses that have been restored for an old-world Dutch experience.

Visit Pella

For your next getaway..

Visitor Guide

Traveling Cheesehead

The Adventures of a Wisconsinite and Her Family

Jaarsma Bakery of Pella, Iowa is Worth the Detour

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I found myself traveling from Ottumwa, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska while zipping from one travel assignment to another. My friend Sara bragged up the quaint town of Pella, Iowa and I decided to make a detour. We all like a taste of delicious pastry now and again, and the offerings of Jaarsma Bakery offer this and so much more.

Most people, if not all, love to have a piece of delicacy, especially if it is from a different cuisine than they are used to. But with all the fabulous tastes that are behind the recipes of Jaarsma, who are they, and what is their mission in wanting to change the face of pastry for the best?

All About Jaarsma Bakery History

Jaarsma Bakery has a rich history dating back to 1898 and is one of the only spots in Pella, Iowa, to offer the treats they do. They are a Dutch pastry shop founded by Harmon Jaarsma, a Holland native who brought the recipes with him when he came to live in the U.S. Since being established in Iowa, they have been working endlessly to satisfy the tastebuds of everyone who steps through their doors daily.  

The Baking Trend

Unlike the popular oven of today, Jaarsma had to do their baking on two brick ovens he owned at the time. When the firewood was lit, and the ashes brushed out, they would put the bread in to bake, after which the buns were done followed by the famous Dutch Letters and cookies. They would then allow the oven to cool before it was lit again for another round of baking.

In addition to being the bakery outlet, the same location was also used as a coffee shop and dwelling house for the family. Out of all the lovely treats prepared at the bakery, the Dutch Letters were an all-time favorite for everyone. However, they were only made on Sinterklaas Day, which is the Dutch Santa Claus Day, and were formed in the letter ‘S’ to mark the special day.

Shining from the Jarsma Bakery New Location

As time went by, Harmon’s son, Frank, took over the business, and with a mission to upgrade and offer more to the public, he moved the bakery to its current location, Pella, Iowa, in 1948. Frank and his two sons Howard and Ralph, dedicated their lives to serving fresh bread to the community for years until 1973 when tragedy struck, and the bakery was burned down.

However, even though it hurt, Howard and Ralph were not going to let the life and passion of their grandfather and father go in shambles as later on, they rebuilt the bakery at the same location. The Jaarsmas chose this location because they have a connection with the place, and it has a “community” feeling to it.

A Generation of Fresh Jaarsma Pastries

The mission is still living today as the bakery is now being operated by Harmon’s great-granddaughter, Kristi, and her husband, Dave. The same tasty recipes are added to every batter they prepare with added ingredients from Netherland. The bakery now offers a full line of tasty treats such as flaky pastries, delicious bread, cakes and cookies, and so much more.

You can be assured of quality in every bite you take. They pride in the way they make their products as each is produced from scratch each day. Are you planning a special event anytime soon and need some fantastic delicacies to treat your guests? Then choosing from their Jaarsma Dutch Speculaas (spice cookies) or Boter Koek (Almond Butter cake) will be your best decision.

The Theme Behind The Dutch Letters

The Dutch Letters produced by Jaarsma Bakery has a significance as the owners are dedicated to their cultures and traditions. The Letters pastry, which is formed in a letter ‘S’ represents Sinterklaas (Santa Claus in English) and is made exclusively for the day.

However, you can order it whenever you desire for a daily treat or to complement your special occasion or event. The letters are filled with a tasty almond filling, baked to a light golden brown, and a sprinkle of sugar to complete. The idea of them being a “sweet treat” is a problem to many but not so with Jaarsma as they desire to satisfy your tastebuds while considering your health.

Their Pastry Collection

Jaarsma Bakery has a wide array of pastries to choose from. They have:

• Plain cookies as well as cookies with different types of fillings. Their cookie collection includes Almond Macaroons, Butterfly Cookies, Almond-filled cookies, and more.
• Apple-infused bread, Currant-Almond Bread, Cinnamon Bread and a special delicacy, the Apple Sweetheart.
• Various bars that are made infused with different fruits and nuts like apple, almond, walnut, and pecan.
• They also have rolls, candies, and different assortment of cakes.

What Items I Tried

Granted it was a quick visit, I more than made up for it. I knew I had to get Dutch Letters – per Sara! I got date nut bars, apple rose roll-ups, figure-eight cookies, Sinterklaas cookies, a huge honkin’ pumpkin cookie for Miss Sarah, a cake, and more. It is almost embarrassing how much I hauled out of there. What was worse?

The looks on the faces that passed the front of my parked car. I may or may not have sat inside and sampled one or two, (or eight) of the different treats. My eyes rolled back up into my head, and I suffered a sugar coma for the next six hours… it. was. amazing.

The Sinterklaas cookies reminded me of the homemade almond windmill cookies grandma treated me to when I was a little girl. The Dutch Letters were so amazing, they almost didn’t make it home for the Hubster to try. Each item crossing my lips seemed better than the last.

Jaarsma Bakery in Pella Iowa – A Must Try!

For sure, the next time you visit Pella, Iowa, you have to make a stop at Jaarsma to get your taste buds tantalized with some fantastic pastries of old. They ensure all their foods are prepared with diligence, care, and passion.

The ingredients combined will leave you wanting more, and the collection of pastries is not limited for you to choose from. Whether you are touring alone, with your significant other, or with friends and family, this location is ideal for creating memories. They prepare everything fresh, so no need to worry about stale or frozen treats.

Next time I visit? I need to check out more of the charming downtown square. It is filled with unique shops and a welcoming feeling. Make the detour yourself, next time you are in the area. You won’t be sorry!

Jaarsma Bakery Hours

The Jaarsma Bakery hours are 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM six days a week, closing only on Sundays. Plenty of time to grab a delicious dutch letter and a cup of coffee!

Jaarsma Bakery Website

Tons of information is on there – in addition to the fact that you need to wear a mask now to enter. Check it out here.

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The Iowa Bakery With Dutch Roots That Date Back To The 1800s

If she isn't writing, hiking, teaching, or gardening, Cristy is probably busy enjoying a good book and a big bowl of ice cream.

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It’s 1898. The state of Iowa is just under 52 years old. Harmon Jaarsma, a Dutch immigrant and an excellent baker, opens up a brand new bakery in the small town of Pella, Iowa. You might recognize the name: Jaarsma Bakery.

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Learn more about snagging some of your own Jaarsma deliciousness at the Jaarsma Bakery Facebook page or website. Or try another famous, long-standing Dutch bakery in Iowa: Casey’s Bakery in Sioux Center.

OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases.

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Dutch treat - Jaarsma Bakery

• United States    
• Iowa (IA)    
• Pella    
• Pella Restaurants    

“Dutch treat” Review of Jaarsma Bakery

The best bakery in Pella. Any of the strudels, many varieties of cookies, and of course the Dutch letters that only come as giant Ss which stands for anything starting with an S that you love.

• Excellent 394
• Very good 45
• All languages
• English  (449)
• Chinese (Sim.)  (1)
• English (449)
• Chinese (Sim.) (1)

208 - 212 of 450 reviews

They have such a large variety. I've been here often, and they always have great service. They are definitely known for their almond treats. Favorites are bankets and Dutch letters. I personally prefer the chocolate covered bismark. The cream inside this is the BEST! It is very rich, but I really love it! Another favorite is the Dutch apple bread. So many things that I love. I must limit myself.

Fantastic awesome place!!!!!!! Mmmmmmmmmmmmmm, wonderful pastries, cakes, cookies and Dutch letters. Everything tasted so good. So much to choose from. You can easily spend lots of money in here Staff were very friendly and dressed up in cute outfits. The shop was very busy which shows how good their delights are. On the negative side of that it makes it hard to look at the food as customers are crowding around the display unit waiting to be served. However, that wouldn't stop me from coming back again.

Wow oh wow what a bakery. I read some of the reviews prior to visiting and am so pleased I did. The Almond Butter Cake had a great review from another reviewer. They were not wrong it's wonderful wish I had bought six more. Also - We bought strudels, five of the six different flavors available on the day we shopped there, a loaf of bread, two different muffins which were our lunch, they were as light as a feather. I had the white chocolate raspberry and my husband had the chocolate chip neither of us wanted to share.......... We also got one of the letters for our grandchildren to try. And finally a couple of almond slices. All I can say is I am glad we don't live in Pella as I would be a fat as a Michellin Man or the Pillsbury Dough boy this food is wonderful. Will definitely be going there again when we come back for the Tulip Festival.

Recently went through Pella and stopped for treats. On our way back, we stopped again and had to buy Dutch Letters and Pecan rolls. Sugared up for ride home, had to hide my treats from my husband since he are his and then went for mine.

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Getting Our Dutch Fix – Pella, Iowa

We have had the opportunity to sample a wide range of cuisines, but Dutch had escaped our taste buds. It took a visit to Pella, Iowa for us to savor this particular style of dishes. Dropping by for Tulip Time allowed us to immerse ourselves in the culture and flavors of this particular fare. With only a couple of days to check it out, we wanted to get our Dutch Fix every chance we got. The city is filled with tasty opportunities, but we focused our attention on the downtown square.

We want to thank Visit Pella for their hospitality. Rest assured all opinions are our own. 

Tulip Time Specials

When a city of just over 10,000 plays host to a crowd that nearly doubles the population, you have to make some adjustments. Dutch Fix has learned to adjust its robust menu to streamline the process of serving the masses. This was no issue for us since we had no predetermined dishes in mind. We were just going with the flow and ready to tackle anything that came before us. It was handy that they had placed a placard outdoors since it helped us determine our choices before heading in.

Popular Place

Of course, heading in during Tulip Time means waiting your turn. Being festival savvy, we know to expect lines for everything. This is where the streamlined menu helps out. The staff at Dutch Fix has made an art of serving this type of crowd. With having a halt to the festival in 2020, due to COVID, they were eager to see a return of the crowds. Our plan in these types of scenarios is to scope out other customers’ plates to help confirm our menu selections. With about a 20 minute wait in line, we had plenty of time to complete that task.

Getting Our Bearings

As we made our way through the line we felt our hunger growing. Seeing all of the delectable-looking dishes was really striking a chord with us. We diverted our attention to the colorful mural that decorates the main wall of the restaurant. During one of the Tulip Time festival presentations, we had heard about the history of the Netherlands. Seeing this large map helped us get our bearings of the cities that dot this small European country.

Go Big or Go Home

As the line continued to progress forward, our anticipation grew. When our turn came we were prepared to quickly blurt out our order. We had heard and seen, where others had selected the Dominie Burger . They create this monster burger using twin patties, bacon, Gouda cheese curds, sliced smoked Gouda, mayonnaise, and pickles. Cramming all of that goodness inside of a bun is a real task. Having seen others attempt to tackle it, we decided to split one. When you toss in a side of Frites , we quickly learned it was a wise decision. We have sampled a wide range of burger joints around our hometown and this one definitely stacks up to them. It’s easy to see why it ranks in the Top 10 in Iowa.

Dutch Dessert

During our time in Pella, we had noted a variety of dishes with names unfamiliar to us. One that we kept hearing about was Poffertjes. Everyone told us that we had to try them out, but we weren’t exactly sure what they were. When we spotted them on the menu at Dutch Fix, we knew it was time to give them a whirl. Evidently, this traditional dessert can come with a wide range of toppings, but during the festival Dutch Fix had concentrated on the three most popular. The Amsterdam Poffertjes are tiny Dutch pancakes covered with Nutella and diced strawberries. A hearty dusting of powdered sugar helps take the sweetness to a higher level. It only took one bite to understand why so many people are enamored with this sweet treat.

Getting Our Dutch Fix

Our visit to Pella brought us at the peak of the festival period, so we obviously faced large crowds. Now that we have had a savoring of the Dutch cuisine, we plan to revisit during a less busy period. This summer would make an excellent time to do such a trip and would offer a chance to explore more of the culinary treats that are found in this Midwestern city. We love that Pella embraces its cultural history not only with its museums and shops, but also in its restaurants. Now we just need to figure out how to make those Poffertjes at home.

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6 thoughts on “getting our dutch fix – pella, iowa”.

We discovered Pella a few years ago when we decided to stop for a couple of hours to see the Vermeer museum. We ended up staying thirty-six hours and talking about a return visit. The windmill and historic village were thoroughly enjoyed.

We can certainly see why this would have happened. Pella is filled with so many things to see and do. Our first visit will certainly not be our last.

Dutchie here! 🙂

To make poffertjes at home, look into one of the online Dutch stores that operate in the US. Stores like atouchofdutch.com (located in WA, they’re my to-go place) sell both the poffertjes mix and poffertjes pan. It’s really quite easy to make with those, and it tastes great!

Thanks for the tip. These treats are such a delight.

My husband & I’ve lived in the Pella area for 50+ years so we know where good food is. The Dutch Fix is less than 5 years old & their food is really good. Dutch Mess(a mixture of lettuce, bacon dressing served over mashed potatoes is so good. They did not make it at Tulip Time because they had to scale back the menu to accommodate the large crowds. Please come back to Pella anytime to try this, the poffertjes, Pella bologna etc. Tulip time was scaled back quite a bit due to Covid 19 but so thankful because at least we were able to have it. I think that’s only the 2nd time in 85 years it was canceled & the other was done while US was involved in WWW II.

We could see the community pride in Pella. It was so nice that the festival was even able to occur, even if it was a scaled-down version. Hopefully, we will have a chance to return and see all of the grandeur in the future.

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• Arts & Culture

Experience Dutch Traditions in Pella

• Celebrate the New Year at ...
• Food & Dining
• ia Newsletter
• November 24, 2022
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Downtown Pella dresses up in its Christmas finest this time of year. Attractions include the new outdoor Dutch Christmas Market (Dec. 1-3) and a holiday home tour. Plus, there’s great shopping downtown. Photo: Visit Pella.

Steel drum concerts at Central College, holiday home tours, the arrival of Sinterklaas, and of course shopping for those famous Dutch letters at Jaarsma Bakery are well-rooted traditions during the Christmas season in  Pella . The town of about 10,000 is celebrating its second year of Kerstmarkt—Pella’s Dutch Christmas market. Inspired by outdoor markets in the Netherlands, the event (Dec. 1-3 from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.) showcases artisan vendors, Dutch foods and beverages (including martinis), and live music. It’s being held at Molengracht Plaza. While in town, be sure to check out the other activities, including the annual holiday tour of homes, festival of trees, and downtown shopping.  Click  here  for a complete list of events.

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621 Franklin St. Pella, Iowa 8am-8pm  Mon-Sat

 621 Franklin St. Pella, IA

621 Franklin menu

We were both born and raised in the Pella area and trace our ancestors back to the Netherlands. Jason grew up milking cows on a dairy farm just outside Pella.

visit us downtown pella to

Eat food dutch people love.

Whether you are a local or a visitor passing through, we hope you enjoy our Dutch street food as much as we enjoy making it. 

Being Dutch, we love all things dairy and it was always our dream to start a small ice cream shack. However, we wanted to share a few other Dutch favorites that we grew up eating. So we added poffertjes... then stroopwafels... then oliebollen. We told our family and friends our idea. They wanted dutch mess... then gouda curds... then pella bologna.  #DUTCHFIX is the result. So come on out and eat food Dutch people love. 

have you had your fix today? 

- Jason and Valerie Bandstra

We are proud to feature foods and ingredients produced by these local businesses:

HERE'S WHEN YOU CAN

Get your fix.

#dutchfix downtown

 621 franklin street, pella, ia

monday - SATURDAY 8am-8pm

closed sunday

JOIN our mailing list and we'll keep you posted

641.204.0279.

Pella Tulip Festival 2024

Pella, IA 50219, USA

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About this trip

A staple in Midwest festival tours, you can’t miss Excite’s version of this traditional Dutch festival! Save your money and take this one day tour enjoying everything essential for a visit to Pella! Visit the Pella historic Village Museum, the Vermeer Windmill, eat a fantastic Dutch lunch all surrounded by thousands of Tulips, food, craft fair, dancing, shopping, parade, and so much more!

Order online or print the Pella Tulip Festival Experience  and mail to

PO Box 751 Bellevue NE 68005

What’s included

• Transportation Private Motorcoach
• Guide Service
• Activities Included in Itinerary
• Admissions Included in Itinerary

What’s not included

• Gratuities Guide & Driver ($4-$5 per day)

Available Packages

Your organizer.

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The Holland Society of New York

A historical and genealogical society founded to collect and preserve information respecting the early history and settlement of New Netherland by the Dutch.

Dutch-American Stories: Growing Up Dutch in Iowa

by Valerie Van Kooten

This article is published as part of the project ‘Stories from the Shared Dutch-American History,’ led by the International Heritage Cooperation Program of the Dutch National Archives.

What does it mean to be of Dutch extraction in the United States? Pella, situated on the Iowa plains, was the destination of choice for hundreds of Dutch families, led by Hendrick Pieter Scholte, after the Afscheiding (Secession) of 1834 split the Dutch Reformed Church. What is still Dutch and what has changed over time? Valerie Van Kooten, Executive Director of the Pella Historical Society and Museums, tells us about her childhood.

My name is Valerie Terpstra Van Kooten. I was born in Pella, Iowa, and raised on a farm two miles west of Pella. I knew from the earliest days that the abstract to our farm documented that the land was originally transferred from Hendrik Peter Scholte to Jacob De Haan and Cornelis Welle, dividing it into two farms, with my family purchasing the De Haan half in 1971. Later, I was to find out that almost everyone’s abstract in Pella showed Scholte as the original land holder. We weren’t unique in that.

Dutch Through and Through

As far back as I can determine, my ancestors on all four sides of my family were Dutch. On my mother’s maternal side were the Hoksbergens and Van Wyks, one of whom, Willem Pieters van Wijk, signed the 1834 Secession document. When the new Haarlemmermeerpolder provided more farm land in the 1850s, the Van Wyks first moved from Brabant to North Holland, and then emigrated to America in the 1880s. On my mother’s paternal side were the Beyers and the Van Zees, one of whom, Stephanus Van Zee, came with Scholte in 1847 on the Pieter Floris. The Beyers had long made their home in Veenendaal in Gelderland, where many still live.

My father’s side of the family came later. On his mother’s side, the Wouterses and the Van Oenens from Amersfoort came in 1909. I still remember my great-grandma Sientje Van Oenen, a petite woman who caught rainwater outside her window to wash her face. She had come to Iowa when she was twenty, alone. My father’s paternal side had a more interesting history. The Terpstras left Sint-Anna Parochie, Friesland, in 1892, ending up in Paterson, New Jersey, where they stayed for several years before moving to Iowa. The Vande Voorts left Dodewaard, Gelderland, in 1911, the parents and seven children, one of whom was my great-grandmother Marie Vande Voort Terpstra. She used to tell me a story about her own great-grandmother, Agatha Miering, who had been the daughter of a duke and who had been disinherited by her family for marrying one of the estate’s gamekeepers, a young mijnheer Vande Voort. I wondered for years whether this romantic love story were true and discovered, years later, that, by and large, it was. My husband’s family has a similar path—Arkemas, Van Kootens, Schuts, Bruxvoorts….all Dutch. You can imagine how surprised I was to send in my DNA sample to ancestry.com and found I was 21% Scandinavian. I guess it’s that Frisian Viking blood!

The fact is, many people in Pella can trace their Dutch roots back generations. And it shocked me, when I started college, that my classmates couldn’t go back more than two to three generations. They’d say, “Well, I’m a mutt,” or “I’m about ten nationalities all put together.” That was unfathomable to me. All of my childhood friends were Dutch, with last names of Rozenboom, De Zwarte, Huisman, and Langstraat. Any one of them could recite a genealogy without thinking twice. We were Dutch through and through and proud of it.

And, of course, we had Tulip Time. For three days in the beginning of May, we donned very inauthentic Dutch costumes and marched with our classmates in the parades. The costumes were incredibly generic, not from any province really, and more resembling Little House on the Prairie costumes. If it were unusually cold, our mothers would pin a lacy baby blanket around our shoulders and close it with a brooch. If being in Tulip Time wasn’t Dutch, what was?

Reformed and Christian Reformed

The one thing that did divide the Dutch into two camps in Pella was their church affiliation—there were those who belonged to the Reformed Church and mostly attended public schools. I didn’t know most of those kids, unless they happened to play softball on my city league team or attended my 4-H club. The Christian Reformed kids went to the Christian schools and ran in their own circles. Until I was in high school, I sincerely thought a “mixed marriage” was one where a Christian Reformed girl married a Reformed boy, or vice versa. Parents were very clear about this—if you marry outside your own denomination you’ll fight about where your kids go to school later. And to be honest, that was true. I saw several of my friends’ marriages battle it out on school choice. Maybe my mother was right on this. There were a few kids who mixed the two systems—maybe attended the Christian Reformed Church but went to public school or went to Christian School and the Reformed Church. My father was one of these and said he never felt as if he belonged in either camp. He swore he would never do that to his children.

Students at Pella Christian were often called “Offies,” a derogatory term that we weren’t sure what the origin of was. Years later I discovered it came from Afscheiding . So “offies” were separated, different. The ironic part of this was that anyone who came to Pella was part of the Afscheiding , not just the Christian Reformed folks. The term applied to us all. As the member of a particularly conservative Christian Reformed congregation in Pella, I was thoroughly catechized. Every Sunday morning after the service—and when I got older, on Wednesday nights—my peers and I lined up in rows of chairs in a small Sunday School room to be taught by elders in our congregation, men who were, six days a week, farmers and shopkeepers and teachers. They didn’t want to be in front of a group of fifteen 4 th graders, I’m sure. And their teaching was largely uninspired, more of a regurgitation of answers back to the Heidelberg Catechism questions. You wanted to sit in the middle of the row, as the teacher started at the edge and asked the question, and the student answered, or tried to. Then he repeated the question to the second student. By the time he got to you, you had heard it answered several times. Rarely was this pattern changed. Even though the way we were taught the catechism was by rote—mechanical and stiff—I still treasure some of the questions and answers fifty years later. And I still believe those men did their best.

When I reflect on my growing-up years, I’m not sure what’s particularly Dutch, what’s particularly living on an Iowa farm, and what’s particularly American. Being on a farm meant we ate breakfast, dinner, and supper, not breakfast, lunch and dinner. Being Dutch meant we ate things like rice and raisins and “melk” pop and “oliebollen”,  Being an American meant we celebrated July 4 and pledged allegiance to the flag. But often our lives were a unique hybrid that incorporated all of these things.

For example, the Yankee-Dutch words that we sprinkled through our language. Things were “vies,” (dirty), or “pooslijk,” (shabby) or a “ratzooi,” ( rotzooi ; a mess). Kids were “kanuists” ( klungels ; bunglers) or “zameled,” ( stamelaars ; whiners) or were a little “toot cowse” ( kletskous ; chatterbox).  Again, college at a state university was the great awakening for me. The first time I told my roommate to get her “throop,” ( troep ; stuff) out of the bathroom and she looked at me with a bland stare there was the dawning realization that maybe that word wasn’t one that everyone grew up with.

What was especially Dutch were the Sunday observances. You went to church twice on Sunday, at 9:30 and 7 p.m., and any other times than these were suspect. After the morning service you went to catechism and then home for Sunday dinner, which was always a pot roast with vegetables and homemade applesauce and a piece of pie for dessert. Sunday afternoons were for napping and little else. How we kids dreaded Sunday afternoons! We were forced to be quiet and stay in our rooms. As we grew older, we weren’t confined to our rooms, but we did need to stay silent while our parents slept. We knew there were non-Dutch kids in Pella who went out for ice cream or went to the beach on Sunday afternoons, but we knew not even to ask to do something like that. Wasn’t gonna happen. For us, it was no TV, no doing handcrafts, like knitting or embroidery, no riding bike. After church on Sunday nights, families visited at each others’ house; either we went somewhere or someone came to our house. I don’t remember a Sunday night without visiting someone or being the host.

Along with a legalistic observation of the Sabbath came another big no-no: dancing. While we kids danced in private at slumber parties and in each other’s basements, organized dances were verboten . The joke we often heard was, “Why don’t Dutch people have sex? Because it might lead to dancing.” The other two vices that the Christian Reformed Synod had labeled sinful in the 1920s were playing cards and movie-going, though by the time I was growing up, those were no longer observed. Just the taboo on dancing.

Some things have changed over the years and some haven’t. So you may ask, what are the Dutch in Pella like today? We still sprinkle our English with Dutch phrases. Even my grandsons will use the word “broekje” when talking about underwear. I still sing a Dutch nursery rhyme to my granddaughter, even though it’s now in English. My mother still calls me to tell about someone who is a “tobbit,” ( tobber ; worrywart) or a “dwaaskop,” fool. The Pella Dutch still have coffee time at 9:30 and 3:30; even the local companies set their break times at these hours. If you show up at someone’s house, you’ll be offered coffee time, even if that doesn’t include coffee.

And Sundays have changed, too. While most Dutch are still either Reformed or Christian Reformed, a sizeable number attend non-denominational churches in Pella. A few have wandered off to the Methodist or Baptist churches, and a handful are Catholic. While the Christian Reformed churches still have two services, the Reformed churches have only one. And most members of both churches have no problem going out to eat for lunch on Sunday or running to Des Moines Sunday afternoon to do a little shopping. By and large, though, Pella is pretty quiet on Sundays. Tourists coming in for a day of sightseeing amble, confused, through the quiet streets.

And there’s still the Dutch Calvinistic tendency of a congregation to split from a body thought to be too liberal. In 1998, my CRC congregation split, with more than half leaving to form a more conservative Reformed congregation. I had heard from older members in my church who remembered the split in the 1920s that led some to leave the CRC and start the Protestant Reformed Church. One woman told me that she still cried about the pain that had caused among families. When our congregation split, I knew what she meant. It was a painful thing to be left behind and labeled “less pure” by those leaving. Now it’s the Reformed Church in America splitting. Is it something in our genes?

Tulip Time has become bigger over the years, as we now welcome 250,000 visitors to our town of 10,000 during three days each year. And while the festival continues to grow, I am proud that it is largely uncommercialized. The original board of Tulip Time stated that the goal of the festival was to celebrate Pella’s Dutch heritage and settling in 1847. We do a good job of that, not allowing outside sponsors to come in and plaster their names all over, not allowing food stands in that aren’t owned by Pella people, and not having a carnival. Some might say this is too insular, but it helps us keep control of the brand and image and intent of the festival.

Cleanliness and pride of property still rule supreme. Everyone says, “Pella is a clean town,” by which they mean, I suppose, that you don’t see a lot of trash on the streets, and most homeowners keep their yards and homes looking nice. Spring and fall housecleaning still occurs, mostly by the older women in town. My thoroughly Dutch grandmother asked her non-Dutch daughter-in-law one year if she had begun her fall housecleaning yet. Her daughter-in-law, my aunt, was quite offended—was she implying that her house was dirty? My grandma was simply making conversation. Though the cleaning mania continues in many Pella homes, the contest to get your clothes on the line the earliest on Monday mornings is mostly gone.

The competition between the public and private school systems is not as intense, I don’t believe. Both are excellent schools; each has its good and bad qualities. Kids get to know their counterparts from the other school much earlier than we ever did, and that’s a good thing. Pella Christian’s marching band wear red wooden shoes; Pella Community’s athletes and students are known as “The Dutch.” You see more intermixing of Christian school kids in Reformed churches or the other way around. The stigmas are disappearing.

And Pella has exploded with non-Dutch, as our largest industries—Pella Corporation, Vermeer Corporation, Lely, PPI, Central College, the Pella Community Hospital—expand. We have a large number of Laotian, Vietnamese, and Indian citizens. We’ve dropped the bumper sticker, “If you ain’t Dutch, you ain’t much.” We are slowly becoming a more inclusive, welcoming city, but we have a ways to go. Maybe we do live inside a bubble in Pella, as we’re sometimes accused of doing. Maybe we do value things that have fallen by the wayside in many other towns. But my view, from inside the bubble, is pretty good.

About the author

Valerie Terpstra Van Kooten is Executive Director of the Pella Historical Society and Museums, which comprises a 22-building historical village and the Scholte House Museum. This blog is based on a contribution presented at the symposium “Enkele reis Pella,” organized by the Archief- en Documentatiecentrum van de Gereformeerde Kerken in Nederland and held in Noordeloos in the Netherlands on 30 September 2022.

About the blogseries

This is the eleventh installment in a monthly series of blogs telling stories about the rich history shared by the American and the Dutch peoples. Authors from both countries will be presenting accounts of their own choosing, from a wide variety of perspectives, in order to give as full a picture as possible of the triumphs and heartbreaks, delights and disappointments that took place over hundreds of years of shared history. Not all these stories will be ‘feel-good history’, however. While the relations between the Dutch and the Americans have for the most part been stable and peaceful, their shared history contains some darker moments as well. Acknowledging that errors have been made in the past does not take away from this friendship but, rather, deepens it.

This story was first published on the 16 th of February 2023 on the website of the National Archives of the Netherlands. All (upcoming) stories can be found here .

Further reading

Buerkens, Clarence “Buck”, Buck Saw: Selected Articles of Pella History As They Once Appeared in the Pella Chronicle (Pella: Pella Historical Society, 2000).

Douma, Michael J., How Dutch Americans stayed Dutch: An Historical Perspective on Ethnic Identities (Amsterdam: Amsterdam University Press, 2014).

History of Pella, Iowa, 1847-1987 , 2 vols. (Dallas: Curtis Media Corp., 1988).

Souvenir History of Pella: 1847-1922 (Pella: The Booster Press, 1922, re-published Pella Historical Society, 2014).

Van Stigt, History of Pella, Iowa, and Vicinity , translated by Elisabeth Kempkes, (Weekblad Print Shop, 1897, re-published Pella Historical Society, 2017).

Webber, Philip E., Pella Dutch: The Portrait of a Language and Its Use in One of Iowa’s Ethnic Communities (Ames, IA: Iowa State University Press, 1988).

Pella Historical Society and Museums

https://www.pellahistorical.org

National Archives of the Netherlands, collection 2.07.01.03, Archive of the Department of Reformed and Other Worship, except Roman Catholic, 1815-1870

https://www.nationaalarchief.nl/onderzoeken/archief/2.07.01.03

Archives of the Christian Reformed Church in North America, Hekman Library, Calvin University

https://library.calvin.edu/guide/collections/hh/crc_archives

Archives of the Reformed Church in America, Gardner A. Sage Library, New Brunswick Theological Seminary

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