So you’re sitting in your rented home in Amsterdam wondering what to do with yourself. It’s fall in the Netherlands which means going outside will likely leave you wetter than an otter’s pocket. Even when it’s not raining the wind may well blow you off your bike and into a canal. It’s been weeks of dreary grey clouds and you find yourself wondering whether you just imagined the sky being blue. Maybe it was never blue and the sun is just an image created by the sheer power of your mind, protecting you from the depression that comes with living here in autumn. You run outside only to realize you have no idea what to do now.
That’s where we come in to tell you about some killer events in Scheveningen coming in the next few months!
23-24/9 International Kite Festival
This weekend, the International Kite Festival will see the skies over Scheveningen beach fill with kites of every shape and colour! And yes, the sun is also making an appearance – what else is there to wish for?
30/9; NorthSea Watermen Challenge
This one is only for the bravest and most physically fit among you. The NorthSea Watermen Challenge is a yearly event where some insane people swim, paddle and run along the North Sea. There are sprint and long variants, as well as a team competition. Despite what the name may imply women are more than welcome to join and compete!
Prices for enrolling are pretty low, because let’s face it, few people would voluntarily put themselves through swimming in the North Sea in fall so the entry bar needs to be set pretty low. For those of you who do not feel the need to pointlessly put yourself in harms way, it may well be fun to watch other people do it. The event will take place on the 30th!
22/10; Dog’s at Sea
This could be the simplest and simultaneously best concept for an event in the history of events. During the summer in the Netherlands all dogs need to be leashed when on the beach to avoid them starting doggo gangs and mugging tourists. Don’t laugh, it used to be a massive problem. Now on October 1st this rule ends and your precious canine is allowed to roam the sand freely once more!
On the 22nd of October there is a festival to celebrate this, with doggy obstacle courses and stands where you can buy the prettiest dog accessories the Netherlands has to offer. Love dogs but don’t have one yourself? This may be the perfect event for you. Just try not to steal one of the dogs. The doggy community frowns on that sort of thing.
Every First Sunday of the Month; Hudson Jazz Sessions
If you enjoy Jazz Scheveningen has quite a bit to offer you. Every first Sunday of the month will see a live Jazz band perform at the Hudson Bar and Kitchen. The lineup is traditionally quite good and so is the food! They serve “honest American cuisine” so you may want to check it out if you’re feeling a bit homesick as well. I’m not entirely sure what “honest American cuisine” is, though I assume it means they deep fry everything and then don’t lie about it. Take a look at the lineup here!
6/10 – 8/10; VISSCH FESTIVAL
VISSCH is a yearly festival held in Scheveningen which, surprisingly, is all about fish. You may have been able to guess as much from the title. During the festival top chefs give cooking demonstrations to teach you all about the proper way of cooking fish. You can have a beer, learn how to make sushi and even participate in the Dutch tradition of pealing shrimp. It takes place on the 6th, 7th and 8th of Oktober and, easily best of all, entry is completely free! VISSCH is perhaps the most worthwhile of the events in Scheveningen this fall.
22/10 WE closing party
One of the better places to spend your summer on the beach is in front of the beautiful beach pavilion WIJ. Unfortunately this year summer was only a single week long, but WIJ has decided to celebrate it’s end on the 22nd of October anyway. Enjoy an evening on the beach while getting absolutely plastered celebrating a summer that scientists say never even existed in the first place.
10-12/11; Glow in the Dark Beachvolleybal
Do you enjoy the beach, volleybal and things that glow in the dark? What terrific luck you have! The 10th, 11th and 12th of November will see a Glow in the Dark Beachvolleybal tournament. Why? No-one knows. There’ll be quite a few different divisions so you, your kids, your husband and his young gay businessmen lover can all participate without ever having to meet!
18/11; The Arrival of Sinterklaas (as well as the yearly discussion on his racist overtones)
Ah! the yearly arrival of Sinterklaas and his not-at-all-ethnically-inspired friends which are all called Black Pete. He’ll be arriving in the Scheveningen harbor on the 18th of November and this year will surely see more protests arriving with him. Have a fun time!
Kees, Thank you for your article. My wife and I went to Scheveningen yesterday. We really enjoyed the day, and so did hundred of thousand of other people. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny day.