Oak Harbor's Holland Happening Festival Returns for 2026 Spring Celebration

Miniature wooden shoes will race down the Klompen Canal for the 20th time when Holland Happening & International Festival returns to Windjammer Park on April 25 and 26, marking another chapter in a tradition Oak Harbor has kept alive since 1969.

The free, two-day street festival at 1600 SW Beeksma Drive runs 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days and brings together roughly 70 vendors, live music, international food, artisan booths, cultural performances, kids' activities, face painting, tulip sales, and a beer garden. The celebration actually opens a day early with a Dutch Dinner on April 24, before the parade steps off April 25 and the full street festival fills the park through April 26.

The Klompen Canal races, where participants race decorated miniature wooden shoes to the finish, are a centerpiece of the festival and reach their 20th anniversary this year. Island Transit is the named sponsor for the canal this year. A wooden shoe carver will also be on hand demonstrating techniques that have been practiced for centuries in the Netherlands, offering a direct window into the Dutch heritage that gave the festival its roots.

The April 25 parade is capped at 80 entries and features a new contest open to every group that enters. All parade entries are required to be decorated in alignment with the festival theme. The Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, is presenting the festival through SWAT - Specialty Welding and Technique. Whidbey Island Bank, a division of Heritage Bank, is the parade sponsor. The Oak Harbor Music Festival is backing the entertainment stage, with Keller Williams Western Realty agent Craig McKenzie listed as the stage sponsor. New Leaf, Inc. is sponsoring tulip sales, and Regency on Whidbey is the apparel sponsor. Additional supporters include Auld Holland Inn, Westgate Homes, and District Brewery.

The Chamber's published materials frame the event's intent plainly: "Our goal is to create lasting memories, and we believe these steps will have a meaningful impact on both our community and visitors."

Questions about the festival can be directed to the Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce at marketing@oakharborchamber.com. Windjammer Park is located at 1600 SW Beeksma Drive in Oak Harbor.