With tulips in peak bloom and excellent weather conditions, residents in Pella have been divided by what would normally be excellent news — hundreds of visitors.

Pella Mayor Don DeWaard says between the Pella Community Services Department, Visit Pella Bureau, and Pella Historical Society, the community has been offering virtual tours to potential guests missing out on Tulip Time festivities this year. However, with green spaces open, DeWaard says there are no restrictions on visitors coming, but that they are all asked to practice social distancing and keep their space from others as they come to view flowers.

“The safety and health of our population is most important but we also have a whole lot of businesses that are hurting bad,” said Mayor DeWaard. “Especially now with the governor granting restaurants in this county the ability to open up, we’re anticipating that there will be some bigger crowds again this weekend. We talked about it with our police department, and they are constantly monitoring the areas where we expect more people.”

DeWaard estimates hundreds of visitors were in the community this past weekend, and the Pella PD had responded to some calls over some concerns due to overcrowding. He encourages everyone who is visiting to do so responsibly, and says the Pella Police Department will work to monitor Central Park in particular and disperse crowds if they become too large.

Find more details on how to enjoy tulips in Pella virtually here.