}Ê* >Vià Summer festivals celebrate with food, fun and fancy dress By Paul Scott
The summer is upon us and from the traditional to the exotic there is a festival to suit every taste, giving us all the perfect excuse to get out and about.
Westland Floating Parade Most villagers would choose to display their freshly grown produce at a local market on a Saturday morning. Those living in the Westland area of south Holland prefer a more elaborate method. The annual Westland Floating Parade is one of the region’s best-loved festivals. The theme of this year’s event, ‘Unique Items’, ensures another spectacular procession. Around 60 individually designed vessels undertake a journey of 70 kilometres along the area’s waterways. Vessels adorned with flowers, fruit, vegetables, pot plants and colourfully dressed volunteers take three days to pass through villages located in Westland, Midden-Defland, Vlaardingen, Maassluis, Rijswijk, Delft, and The Hague. The carnival atmosphere spreads along the route of the parade, with stalls, music, food and drink all available for the thousands of spectators that line the waterways. Westland Floating Parade, Friday 30 July, Saturday 31 July, and Sunday 1 August 2010. For information and route map visit www.varendcorso.nl
63rd Annual New Herring Festival by Olivia van den Broek Vlaggetjesdag Scheveningen (New Herring Festival) will take place on Saturday, 12 June. Although Vlaggestjesdag translates to ‘flag day’, the star of the day is the Dutch New Herring. What began as a festival to promote the cultures of the Dutch and the Scheveningen area has grown into a national and international event each summer at the Scheveningen Harbour.
activities this year are: the Royal Navy Road Show which will provide visitors an opportunity to familiarise themselves with all aspects of the Royal Navy. There will also be a Ferris Wheel that will permit visitors views of the Harbour and the Boulevard.
The festival celebrates the arrival of the first herring in the southern coastal towns of Vlaardingen and Scheveningen. On the Thursday preceding the official celebration fishing boats are decorated and the first barrel of herring is traditionally sold at an auction with proceeds going to charity. Then the festivities begin.
Approximately 30 activities are planned this year such as a competition for stacking fish boxes and spectacular demonstrations by rescue teams. Visitors can admire artists, enjoy demonstrations of old crafts, watch famous chefs, sing along with shanty choirs, and enjoy viewing traditional costumes. There will be bands, orchestras, artists and artisans, old sailing luggers, miniature ships, sailing tours and sampling of all kinds of fish.
Fun for the entire family Although historical traditions are unchanging at the festival, the organisation brings new elements to the event each year. New
The festival has activities for the entire family, with special activities especially for children. In particular, children will be able to play traditional Dutch games. They can
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also go through an obstacle course that includes barrel rolling, tin throwing and stilt walking. Even better, every child will get a treat after completing the course. Aside from the festival’s activities, visitors can also enjoy one of the many sidewalk cafés or explore the historical Scheveningen village. A group effort A team of approximately 40 volunteers helps prepare for the festival months before the event. On the day of the festival, the number of volunteers doubles. “We cherish our volunteers because, without them, the festival would not be possible,” said
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The Hague’s African Festival The Hague African Festival returns to Zuiderpark celebrating everything African with an explosion of colour and noise. Featuring live music, films, and broadcasts, the festival aims to bring the African and international communities of The Hague closer together through entertainment and education. Top artists from Congo, Cameroon and Ivory Coast will be performing a mixture of contemporary and traditional African music. The festival will also tackle some of the tougher political and social issues affecting Africa through a series of discussions and presentations. The day-long event includes an African market and the opportunity to sample some of the delights of the continent’s incredible cuisine. Children can also join the fun with African mask-making and percussion workshops throughout the day. The Hague African Festival, Sunday 13 June, 2010, Zuiderpark, (Roggeveld) ,The Hague. 12:00-23:00. Pre-book tickets (€12.50) at www.ticketservice.nl Entry on the day €15. Children up to 12 admitted free of charge.
Annemiek Hanssen, General Manager of the New Herring Festival. Hanssen has been with the organisation since 2004 and the general manager since 2005. “On the day of the event we all give our 100 percent. After the event, we look each other in the eye and know ‘We did it again!’” The festival continues to grow The festival attracts more visitors each year. “In 2009 we expected around 200,000 visitors,” said Hanssen. “However a new record, around 300,000 attendees, actually visited the event.” The festival attracts visitors from all over the Netherlands and even from abroad. According to Hanssen approximately 40 percent of the attendees have visited the event seven times or more, while only 20 percent were first-time visitors.
The Taste of Holland Festival The Taste of Holland Festival (De Smaak van Holland) is one of the region’s newest events. Determined to break the stereotypical view of being a country of clogs, cheese and cannabis cafes, the occasion showcases the most beautiful, best and delicious fare of The Netherlands. Set in the grounds of the stunning Keukenhof Gardens, itself one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, the festival aims to prove that The Netherlands is a vibrant, innovative nation through a series of activities, presentations, shows, and live music. From culture, fashion and science to snacks, traditional meals, and contemporary Dutch cooking, A Taste of Holland festival wishes to get people from all communities, including expatriates and tourists, to delve a little deeper to discover the real Netherlands. A Taste of Holland Festival, 26-29 August, 2010, Keukenhof Gardens, Stationsweg 166a, Lisse. 10:00-18:00. Adults €15. Children (4-12 years) €10. For further information visit www.smaakvanholland.nl
Dutch New Herring and more Although Dutch New Herring plays a major role in the day’s event, even Hanssen admits eating it is an acquired taste and says that other kinds of fish and foods will also be available at the festival. “For all the visitors that do not like herring or think they will not like it, but want to enjoy a great festival, there are enough other choices,” said Hanssen. “For instance, try the traditionally smoked eel.” This year’s festival begins at 10.00 a.m. and the official opening will take place on the main stage at 11.00 a.m. The festival officially ends at 7.00 p.m. and most activities will end at 5.00 p.m. The festival is wheelchair accessible and special toilet facilities are provided. For more information on the New Herring Festival visit www.vlaggetjesdag.com. The website also has an online store where you can purchase New Herring Festival merchandise.
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The Dutch New Herring A herring can only call itself Dutch New Herring if it has a fat percentage of 16 – 25 percent and is caught during the two or three months of springtime or the beginning of summer. The herring is cleaned in a special way, with intestines (except the pancreatic gland, gills and throat) removed. The pancreatic gland stays in the fish because of the enzymes it contains which are responsible for the maturing process and giving the specific taste to the Dutch New Herring. After the cleaning of the fish, the herring is pickled with salt and kept in barrels and the maturing process starts. After one day the pickled herring is preserved in buckets and frozen. Freezing the herring extends the shelf life by months and slows down the maturing process. The consumers of Dutch New Herring can thus enjoy their good quality herring throughout the entire year!
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