Get the junk you’ve collected over the past two years from the attic, because King’s Day is back. Free market, wrong hits and lots of orange knick knacks: you will experience it all. NH Nieuws lists the events and activities in the region for you.
The fact that we are not celebrating a ‘housing day’ or ‘balcony day’ this year does not mean that everything is back to normal. For example, ‘Amstelveen’s biggest reunion’, the King’s Day party at restaurant/hotel Abina, will take place in a slimmed-down form, because the preparation time was too short.
Amstelveen
“Normally, the preparations for the orange party already start in December, but then it looked bleak for the entire catering industry due to the corona lockdown,” according to the organization of the festival. Add to that a shortage of staff and security guards and you come to the conclusion that the can of folk singers will remain closed this year. That also means no street-wide stage.
But young and old certainly don’t have to be bored, because the Amsterdamseweg is also open again this King’s Day the place to be in Amstelveen. Abina provides music during King’s Day and night and there are stalls with food and drinks. And you will also find the largest free market in Amstelveen here. It runs until the roundabout on Graaf Aelbrechtlaan.
Do you want to go to a slightly smaller free market in Amstelveen? Then there is plenty of choice. In the Old Village (Stationsstraat, Dorpsstraat and Dorpsplein) there is plenty to do and plenty of music is played. You can also visit De Meent in Middenhoven, Westwijkplein, Catharina van Clevepark, Stadsplein and the children’s market in Urbanuspark, Bovenkerk. On the Stadsplein you can also watch a laser show accompanied by a DJ during King’s Night.
The royal family will visit Maastricht this year, but in Amstelveen you can catch a glimpse of mayor Tjapko Poppens all day long, who shows his face everywhere in a decorated orange bus.
The elderly in Amstelveen are not skipped either. Amstelveen Orange Foundation visits the various care homes with 3000 orange tompouces and the residents can enjoy a performance at each house.
Ouderkerk on the Amstel
If all goes well, the mood in Ouderkerk aan de Amstel is already good. For the first time since 2019 – traditionally around King’s Day – the festive week will be held. In addition to fairground attractions and festivities, the village also entertains itself with tubing (a variant of ring stitching), crate stacking and belly sliding.
Crate stacking is on the program tonight, belly sliding will follow tomorrow. Bad news for tub lovers: that was last Saturday.
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Enthusiasts can also listen to the Amstelveen Harmony Orchestra this King’s Day.
Aalsmeer
Orange associations throughout the province are struggling with a shortage of volunteers who want to help with King’s Day. Aalsmeer also longed for more hands.
But It worked. In Aalsmeer, a King’s Day for the whole family is central. There are all kinds of games to play on Raadhuisplein all day long: from iron-throwing to speeding down the obstacle course. There is plenty to do here from 12.30 to 18.00.
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Young people can also indulge themselves in Aalsmeer during King’s Day. For the first time, a real party boat over the Westeinderplassen. You can have a party while sailing on King’s Night from 10 p.m. to 4 a.m. and on King’s Day from 1.30 p.m. to midnight. But only if you bought a ticket!
Uithoorn
In Uithoorn there are also plenty of places to spread out your clothes. As usual, the free market there runs almost along the entire quay on the Amstel: from the T-junction Dorpsstraat and Prinses Irenelaan to Stationsstraat. And there is also room for a free market from Koningin Julianalaan to Clausstraat.
In addition, there is a laundry list of activities for children in De Kwakel. In the morning, toddlers can decorate their bicycles at the Village Hall and then proudly ride around the village. The program will be officially opened at 10.45 am.
A diverse program has been put together for toddlers and older children. There are real children’s games, you can do a Whatsapp treasure hunt, play panna football and play cudgel. From 13.00 to 15.00 there is room for a free market and the party ends with live music on the square in front of the Dorpshuis. If you want to hear more music, you can visit various pubs and cafes that organize parties on King’s Day and Night.
Free market rules
– Reserving free market places is not possible in every municipality. Not in Uithoorn, for example, but again in Amstelveen.
– Commercial sale is not allowed.
– Roads where traffic drives, side streets and the entrance to a shop or catering facility must remain free.
– Take what you don’t sell back home or throw it in a waste container. There are a lot of these these days. Don’t just leave it alone!