The Boerenrockfestival in Drouwenermond has grown in recent years into a well-attended, multi-day festival. Every year in August, this site fills up with thousands of visitors. The 16th edition took place last year. “We look back on a challenging, but fantastic festival,” says organizer René Boiten. “In the end everything worked out again.”
That didn’t seem so certain on Tuesday the 13th, before the festival was to start on Thursday August 15th. After a few heavy thunderstorms and downpours, the site was completely flooded. For a moment the festival literally seemed to fall into the water. “We thought so, yes,” says organizer Roelof Timmermans. “When we were on the field that Tuesday, things really went crazy. We hung on to the tent with all our might to keep everything going. When the rain was over, tears welled up in our eyes. It was there one big river.”
Fortunately, there is no shortage of manpower at such a Boerenrock festival. After a few phone calls with some contractor friends, they started pumping water at 4 am. “At one o’clock in the afternoon the trucks drove onto the site again,” says Timmermans, triumphantly. “As if nothing had happened.”
The party continued. There were even more visitors than ever. While the festival aimed for 50,000 in the last few years, this year it reached 55,000. Children not included. And spread over four days. “There is no stop at Boerenrock, we just keep growing. And we can still trust this number on our festival site,” says Boiten.
They came for the cross country, the tractor pull, the car blubbering, the craziness at the campsite, the Boerenrock music, or for nationally known artists such as Davina Michelle, because that is also the Boerenrockfestival. “Last year we had Di-rect, and you actually want the same level every year, or a level higher,” Timmermans explains. “Davina Michelle was an act that we said should come to Drouwenermond.”
The volunteers are the oil that keeps the engine running. There were also more of these than ever this year. “We were approaching 800 volunteers,” says Boiten. “That makes our festival unique. That is a kind of solidarity, and that makes us a Boerenrock family.”
Super volunteer is 84-year-old Willem Veldman, also known as Uncle Willem. Every year he thinks it might be the last. But this year he was there again. “I made it again, yes,” says Willem with a grin. He drove back and forth with the forklift to bring items to the festival site. “That’s just an outing for me. I look forward to it every year.” The organization also enjoyed Uncle Willem’s presence again. “We just have to call and he will drop off and pick up stuff. He enjoys it immensely, and so do we,” says Timmermans with a big grin.
Uncle Willem is a big fan of Jannes. He enjoyed his performance in a packed Pirate Tent. And Willem immediately noticed some areas for improvement. “It was extremely busy in that tent,” he reflects. “The tent was too small for Jannes. Next year he has to go to the main stage!”
Whether that wish is granted is up to the organization. But they don’t want to reveal too many details just yet. “What I can tell you in any case is that our Wild West village is being expanded with a completely new part,” says Timmermans. “And there are a few more things, but I really can’t say anything about them yet.”