Springtime Preview: Your Guide to Upcoming Events and Activities

Spring is in the air and we all know what that means. Everything seems to burst back to life, promising longer days, warmer weather and (hopefully) a lot more sunshine. Nature wakes from its winter sleep and just overall everything will simply start to feel better again because you can finally end the day on a ‘terrasje’ with that Aperol Spritz in hand (or any other drink of choice, go crazy!).

To celebrate this change of the seasons and to lure people out of their winter bubbles, there is almost always something to see and do during the next few months. From film festivals to the opening of gardens and parks creating the opportunity to admire the flowers in bloom; there is something for everyone. But to make sure you don’t get overwhelmed and caught up in the spring enthusiasm, we’ve made a small compilation of things that are definitely worth keeping in mind and checking out when having the time! 

IFA 2024 & Cinemasia Film Festival

March starts off strong with film festivals, offering plenty of diverse and multicultural screenings. The Cinemasia Film Festival, marking its 20th anniversary this year, is happening from the 5th until the 10th of March. Priding themselves on being one of the biggest and longest-running Asian film festivals in Europe, they stand as a testament to the power of film in bridging cultures from across the globe. Discover and enjoy a cinematic experience created by directors spanning from Canada to Hong Kong to the Philippines and many more. 

Meanwhile, the International Film Festival Assen aka IFA 2024 will be taking place from the 7th to the 10th of March. Being considered one of the oldest Film Festivals with a Feminist tradition in Europe and the only Festival with such an orientation in the Netherlands makes it for sure worth a visit. A unique blend of arthouse films will be made available such as ‘All of Us Strangers’, ‘Poor Things’, ‘Creatura’, promising a treat for everyone. 

Opening of the Keukenhof Flower Garden

Nothing screams the arrival of spring as much as the opening of the Keukenhof Flower Garden in Lisse. Also known as the Garden of Europe, it is one of the world’s biggest flower gardens, covering an area of about 32 hectares and 7 million flower bulbs planted annually. The garden will once again open its doors for the 2024 season starting on the 21st of March until the 12th of May, open daily from 8 am to 7:30 pm. Although the weather tends to be incredibly unpredictable, peak bloom usually happens around the last weeks of April/beginning of May. So no rush, there is still plenty of time to plan that trip to the Southwest of Amsterdam!

Another honourable mention to keep in mind is the flower-bulb region also called the ‘Bollenstreek’, which is the most famous location to go watch the legendary Dutch Tulips in bloom once the season starts somewhere in the middle of April until May. 

National Restaurant Week

Enjoying a three, four or even more course meal starting from only 29,95 euros at the best restaurants in the Netherlands. Maybe it’s just us but that sounds like more than enough incentive to check out National Restaurant Week which, despite the name, is happening during the whole month of March. It happens only twice a year, in Spring and Fall with about 600 restaurants participating including Star locations. For exact dates, prices, and participating restaurants and to reserve a table make sure to check their website. 

Amsterdam Wine Festival

One for the wine enthusiasts among us! With a focus on grapes from South Africa, New Zealand and South America, we are just naming some wine regions you will be able to find wines from May this year's edition of the wine festival at Westergas in Amsterdam. From April 18th until April 21st you can taste over 300 types of wine, become an expert by participating in masterclasses, pair those glasses with some amazing food and then put that liquid courage to the test by putting on your dancing shoes to live bands during the day and dj’s in the evening. 

Koningsdag 

‘Koningsdag’ also called King’s Day is one of, if not THE biggest national holiday in the Netherlands. On the 27th of April, the whole country will colour orange in celebration of the Birthday of King Willem-Alexander. Enjoy a good party at one of the many festivals being organised, strike up a good deal at a King’s Day flea market or celebrate with the royal family themselves by following their route in Rotterdam. In the big cities and especially in Amsterdam, it is one of the busiest days of the year so make sure to be prepared and check out enough sources on how to get around in the smartest and safest way. 

Japanese Garden in The Hague

Being the oldest and largest Japanese Garden in the Netherl ands is a title to be proud of. Laid out in the early 20th century, this garden hosts plenty of beautiful and rare plants and trees and all that with free admission (yeah pretty sure we have your attention now ;)). Due to the garden being very fragile, it is only open to the public for a short period of 6 weeks, once in spring and once in autumn. When exactly the gardens will open for spring of 2024 is yet to be announced so definitely keep an eye out on the website of The Hague so you don't miss the opportunity to visit!