Queen’s Day will once again be celebrated on April 30 in 2009. Amsterdam is known internationally for the lavish manner in which Queen’s Day is celebrated. Visitors from abroad experience it as the Amsterdam alternative to carnival, with its biggest attraction being the street markets. It is the one day of the year that everyone is permitted to sell their wares and make music on the open streets and sidewalks. The combination of amateur street vendors, market stalls, musicians, street performers and the aroma of roasted satés and Vietnamese spring rolls help create an extraordinary atmosphere not only in the centre but throughout the city. Queen’s Night festivities commence the evening before, on 29 April 2009. Live music is played on outside stages set up on seven squares in the inner-city and several spots outside the Singelgracht from 7 PM till 1 AM. Stage areas include the Nieuwmarkt, Leidseplein, Reguliersdwarsstraat, Westermarkt, Westerstraat, Rembrandtplein and Amstelveld.
More information: www.amsterdamtourist.nl en www.koninginnedagamsterdam.nl