Homer Simpson has been called many things — savior has rarely been one of them. But organizers of the Tulip Time Festival in Holland hope the bloated, beer-swilling patriarch of “The Simpsons” can help revive the western Michigan town’s long-running spring celebration. In Sunday’s episode, Homer plunked down his wife’s savings on an RV and later remarked to a fellow RV enthusiast, “Boy, I’d really like to take that baby to Holland, Michigan, to the tulip festival!” A throwaway line. Unless you host an event that has seen attendance fall from 1 million visitors a decade ago to about 500,000 last year. Which is why Holland, population 35,000, is abuzz about Homer’s plug. “Anytime you can get a mention like that on a national level,” said festival director Tamra Bouman, “it could pique someone’s curiosity.” Read More >>>
