Babylon Town Tulip Festival set for Saturday

Babylon Town will once again be the scene of a Tulip Festival tomorrow.

Sponsored by West Babylon’s Our Lady of Grace Roman Catholic Church, the event is a celebration of the church’s 50th anniversary. In the 1940s and ’50s, tulip festivals and parades were held in Babylon Village, celebrating the town as a leader in the tulip industry.

The church sits on property once owned by one of the area’s largest tulip producers, the Van Bourgondien family.

The event kicks off at 10 a.m. with a parade starting at the West Babylon Junior High School and ending at 12:30 p.m. at the church with a dedication of a newly installed prayer garden. The parade will feature equestrian teams, vintage vehicles and a float competition. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., there will be a festival with food, entertainment and craft vendors.

The event also includes the  1 p.m. dedication of the Van Bourgondien family’s farm house as a town museum. The museum, next door to the church, will have period dress, music and artifacts. Museum tours will follow the dedication ceremony.