The fair at the TT Festival in Assen will have more space in the city in the coming edition. The move towards Rolderstraat should provide a better connection with the rest of the festival.
Festival director Jan Gerbrand Krol announced this during a residents’ evening at Hotel de Jonge. The first ever, but – Krol promised – certainly not the last time that local residents will be involved.
Other news: a moped sprint race will take place along the Vaart, the Ferris wheel will return and the TT City Run will once again be the opening of the festival.
New elements from last year, such as the bungee jump, opening parade and the silent disco, will also be included again. The low-stimulus afternoon at the fair is here to stay.
There will be eight music stages throughout the city center. Everyone has to wait a little longer for the line-up of artists. “We are still very busy with that,” says Krol.
The fair is extended to the intersection of Rolderstraat, Jan Fabriciusstraat and Javastraat. There will be food trucks and a large fairground attraction there during the festival.
The entrance and exit of the fair will move from Abel Tasmanplein to Javastraat. According to Krol, this creates a wider passage for fair visitors and leavers.
This can count on approval from a number of residents. They point to a fight that occurred on one of the days during the previous edition near the entrance to the fair.
“It was quite scary, because you couldn’t go anywhere,” says one of the residents. “The entrance was like a funnel, which made it way too crowded.”
The ten residents of the center who showed up fired quite a few critical questions at the festival director. Especially about safety, noise pollution and public urination.
A resident of Doevenkamp would like to know whether the popular dance stage that is built every year behind the town hall could be placed elsewhere.
“You just get out of bed shaking. Many people flee their homes during the festival,” says the local resident. He suggests moving the stage to the Havenkade.
That will be difficult, says the festival director. “Visitors then have to cross a busy road, one of the most important roads for the emergency services. You just don’t want that,” says Krol.
The festival director and residents agree better with each other in preventing public urination. More toilets for women and toilet units along the roads leading out of the city seem feasible.
Some ideas have also been put on the table for the 2025 edition. This will mark the 100th anniversary of the TT race and the festival will celebrate its fiftieth anniversary.
More food stalls from ordinary Assen residents in the city, bringing the largest Ferris wheel in Europe to Assen and – the most popular suggestion – a historic TT in the center.
“Yes, I hear that often,” laughs festival director Krol. “How great would it be if we could run the old engines through Assen again in 2025.”