Food festivals in the Netherlands

At DutchReview, we love food, and we love food festivals, and especially when they take us around the globe. Whether it’d be in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, The Hague or Leiden, there’s a food festival almost every weekend until September, for all tastes and styles. Rollende Keukens, the biggest of all, is just behind us, but if you missed it, no worries, there are still plenty of food festivals coming up this summer! If there’s one thing to remember, it’s that all these festival offer amazing food, but they differ in style and atmospheres. Let’s check the food festivals agenda for the coming months!

food festivals netherlands
Food Soul Festival 2015 ©Gabrielle Dauby

Food Soul Festival

The Food Soul Festival opens the season at the end of January in Amsterdam, perfect for those of us who can’t wait till the beginning of the spring! Soul music and a warm atmosphere are key to success, and it works everytime! The Noordwijk aan Zee edition is my personal favourite; sea, sun, and food – what else?

27-29 May: Noordwijk aan Zee
26-28 August: Zoetermeer
food festivals netherlands
©Food Truck Festival Trek

Food Truck Festival Trek

Festival Trek started in 2014 in just 2 cities and 3 years later, they’re up in 9 cities! What’s great about Trek? They set up the festival in parks in the middle of the cities, and the live music and theatre performances are always a hit. And this year, the Burgemeester van Trek welcomes you in a Silent Disco tent! Six cities to go, don’t miss it!

3-5 June: Enschede
10-12 June: Nijmegen
17-19 June: Eindhoven
7-10 July: ‘s Hertogenbosch
14-17 July: Amsterdam
8-11 September: The Hague

Rrrollend

Rrrollend with 3 R’s is the touring festival that probably hits most cities in the Netherlands. After 12 cities in 2015, they’re now up for 16, and coming twice to Leiden and Rotterdam. Starting in May and finishing in October, it’s basically impossible not to go to Rrrollend. The atmosphere is pretty laidback, there are usually activities organized for the kids, and, well, yes the food is great!

Food festivals netherlands
Rrrollend Leiden 2015 ©Gabrielle Dauby

Being quite a food fanatic, I’m starting to have my favourite trucks, and I’m sure I’ll go get some food from the following trucks: De Ballenbar (make sure you try the chorizo bitterbal, so good), De Burger Bus (a food truck festival without these crazy good burgers is not a food truck festival), Mamma’s Saté (classic saté, but oh so delicious!), L’Arrosticino Gustoso (mamma mia, grilled Italian pork or lamb meat from the Abruzzo region!), Duck & More (all about duck: bitterbal, mini donut, springrolls, that’s a no brainer), and much more. You know how fond of Leiden we are at DutchReview, and some us will certainly hit the festival for a tasty time at Rrrollend!

27- 29 May: Leiden
3-5 June: Eindhoven
10-12 June: Rotterdam
17-19 June: Zwolle
24-26 June: Vlissingen
1-3 July: Roermond
8-10 July: Amstelveen
13-16 July: Katwijk
22-24 July: Den Helder
12-14 August: Almere
19-21 August: Hoofddorp
26-28 August: Leiden
16-18 September: Groningen
23-25 September: Den Haag
30 September-2 October: Oisterwijk
7-9 October: Tilburg
14-16 October: Rotterdam
Food festivals netherlands
©Lepeltje Lepeltje

Lepeltje Lepeltje

Lepeltje Lepeltje (lepeltje means small spoon) is a festival about food, culture, and market; it welcomes children, so ideal for a family outing in the summer. Lepeltje is a cultural food festival that tours in no less than 7 different cities, as well as at the music festival Mysteryland! Food trucks, great bands, and plenty of things to buy such as vintage clothings, interior decorations, arty stuff and more, await you.

3-5 June: Dordrecht
24-26 June: Utrecht
1-3 July: Groningen
8-10 July: Zwolle
29-31 July: Apeldoorn
5-7 August: Eindhoven
27-28 August: Mysteryland

Food festivals in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is quite popular in terms of food festivals, and each year the city welcomes the popular Rollende Keukens in the Westerpark, but not only. Here are the next food festivals taking place in the capital city:

Food festivals netherlands
Amsterdam Kookt 2015 ©Gabrielle Dauby

Amsterdam Kookt

Specific to Amsterdam, Amsterdam cooks gathers food trucks, pop-up restaurants, and musical performances. After a successful edition at the Olympic Stadion early May, they’re now heading to the Oosterpark early June, with the Amsterdam Indie Rockband Bluepaint, the Belgian duo Hydrogen Sea, and Amber Gomaa performing on the stage. If you love it as much as I do, save the first weekend of August in your agenda for a 3rd edition of Kookt at the NDSM.

2-5 June: Oosterpark, Amsterdam
4-7 August: NDSM, Amsterdam
Food festivals netherlands
Taste of Amsterdam 2015 ©Gabrielle Dauby

Taste of Amsterdam

Same weekend, but another atmosphere! Taste of is a worldwide concept that you’ll find in many cities all over the world, and even though it’s not a proper food truck festival, Taste of Amsterdam is an absolute must-do for all foodies. Renown chefs will present their signature dishes in pop-up restaurants, there’ll be wine/whisky/champagne/you name it tastings, activities such as a MasterChef competition, a baking lab, a glass house, a Scottish square, and much more.

2-5 June: Amstelpark, Amsterdam
Food festivals netherlands
©The Dutch Raw Food Festival

The Dutch Raw Food Festival

Fourth edition for this raw food festival. The festival will introduce you to raw food and other delicacies: stalls, workshops, tastings, talks, live music…, with the aim of teaching you the benefits of a raw food based diet.

12 June: Boerderij Langerlust, Amsterdam

3 COMMENTS

  1. Ever heard about the Preuvenement in Maastricht? One of the Oldest “food festivals” in the Netherlands. The whole of the vrijthof square turns into an open air restaurant. I know it isn’t in the randstad or Holland, but since you mention food festivals in the Netherlands. try to show a bit more of also more than just the most populated western part.

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