The 2016 Tulip Queen and Royal Court have officially started their trek across Iowa ahead of the 81st Tulip Festival.

Queen Maria Bandstra and court members Taylor Bolt, Anne Williamson, Elyse Parisee and Shanae DeHaan-Burch spent Tuesday in Des Moines, and were formally introduced on the floor of the Iowa Senate by Senator Ken Rozenboom. Members of the group also registered to vote in the Secretary of State’s office on top of the Iowa Constitution.

The evening was highlighted by the group’s first public performance at the Pella Community Center. Carol Verhey with the Tulip Queen Committee says the girls will perform more than 30 times between now and the end of Tulip Time weekend.