The twice-daily Volks Parades of Tulip Time continue to be a big draw and this year, the parades will feature 18 floats. Ruben Mejia has served as Floatmaster for the past ten years. He says it takes a huge effort from volunteers and local businesses to keep the floats in running condition every year. He says because the floats are used year after year, many are beginning to show their age. The Tulip Time float that anchors each parade has been in use for twenty years. Mejia says that float was built by PPI to be used once, and they have continued to keep it functional ever since. The first parade of each year typically serves as a test drive period, as many of the floats are simply too big to test beforehand.