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As the beginning of this introduction indicated, I approach the study of these five celebrations as an insider to the wider subculture being studied. Until the age of 23, I lived in communities predominantly inhabited by Dutch-Americans, went to their schools and colleges (specifically Calvin College), and attended (until geography prevented me from doing so) their churches (specifically the Christian Reformed Church—see chapter 2). More specifically, I grew up in Edgerton, Minnesota and attended (and often participated in) almost every summer Dutch Festival until the age of 21. Moreover, I attended many Tulip Festivals in Orange City and spent many more hours in Orange City and its environs, since many relatives and family friends lived in Northwest Iowa. I spent four years living a half-hour away from Holland, Michigan, attending college with many individuals who had grown up in Pella, Fulton, and Holland. Bonds of education, church, family, and friends, as well as my own Dutch heritage, inextricably link me to the wider Dutch-American community (and, as we shall see in chapter 2, it is these bonds that have allowed a distinct Dutch-American community to survive and flourish in spite of a geographically scattered nature). I therefore come to this project equipped with knowledge of the internal workings and characteristics of the Dutch-American community and the Dutch-American enclave of Edgerton, Minnesota most specifically. My insider status has heightened my awareness of many of the distinctions, eccentricities, biases, and peccadilloes common to Dutch-Americans (and that I myself probably bear). Outside researchers arguably would need more time to identify and understand such factors. At the same time, my ability to identify and speak to these distinctive qualities has also likely made me less aware of other peculiarities and characteristics outside researchers might notice. I have tried to maintain a critical but balanced eye during my observations, research, interviews, and analysis, but I do recognize that I am studying my people, and therefore myself, which will naturally raise questions about how my own biases are manifested in this study.
My methodology in approaching these five celebrations is, necessarily, interdisciplinary. In the first place, my training is in theatre studies, and so I accordingly will be focusing on the theatrical—broadly construed—elements present in each of these celebrations, including pageants, plays, dances, floats, and other programs.