Koningsdag
Royals
Koningsdag, April 27
King's Day is a national holiday in the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Celebrated on April 27 (the 26th if the 27th is a Sunday), the date marks the birthday of King Willem-Alexander.
Market
Koningsdag – or King's Day – is the one day a year that ordinary folk are allowed to set up shop on the sidewalk without a trading licence. Traditionally in the days running up to King's Day, strange boxes are sectioned off on pavements around the country and marked with the word 'Bezet' (occupied).
To the uninitiated, these markings in chalk or tape may appear to be some kind of bizarre crop circles. They are not, they are just an example of the assertiveness of the Dutch – if you want to sell items on King's Day you have to mark out your territory well in advance. The market itself is permitted from
6am until 8pm, except in Utrecht, where it starts at 6pm the night before Kingsday.
Guidebooks marvel at the quaint Koningsdag customs, when the supposedly-reserved Dutch let their hair down and toast the King and his Royal House by covering everything in orange, buying and selling as if it was still the 1600s and indulging in lots of music, street performances and alcohol.
Royal-spotting is an important element of King's Day and each year the King and Queen visit on one or more parts of their realm to meet and greet their subjects. For more information on the King's schedule on 27th visit www.koninklijkhuis.nl While the King and Queen take care of the official activities, the rest of the country celebrates a giant open air party. In orange. UtrechtUtrecht will be filled with music – professional and otherwise – on most street corners. Utrecht is in fact famous for its Koningsnacht - festivities start at 6 pm on the evening before King's day, and continue until 6 pm on the 27th. While most of the city centre is given over to a huge free market (people selling the content of their attics and garages), Park Lepelenburg is reserved for children.
Check out Agenda Utrecht for an activities near you.
Amsterdam
Amsterdam is a great place to visit on King's day, especially along the canals - you will see a plethora of boats and other floatable devices passing by. A big party takes place on the Museumplein. It does get very, very busy, so if you are not big on crowds, it is probably not the place for you. Amsterdam also sets aside certain areas for children to sell their wares, such as the north side of Sint Anthoniesluis and the north side of Leliegracht in the centre of the city (Centrum) and the entire Vondelpark in Old South (Oud Zuid). On April 27 the park closes at 8pm.
Avoid the crowds
There are several ways to avoid the crowds. You can of course stay at home and watch the day's events on television. Or you may consider going to a smaller town, where the activities are usually more focused on children. This is a great way to sample the gezelligheid (pleasantness) inherent in the festivities.
