Treasure Hunt: Aprilfeesten on Nieuwmarkt

Apr 17, 2018 | by Marlies | Schatzoekers Amsterdam | Event, Music

About the author

I'm Marlies from Schatzoekers Amsterdam - always looking for new adventures and (hidden) treasures while hopping through Amsterdam like it’s my own personal playground! I like to be surprised by experiences and things that are innovative and original.

Treasure Hunt is a collaboration between Overdose.am and Schatzoekers Amsterdam. We’ll tell you all about an event or hotspot you absolutely can not miss this month! More Treasure Hunt here.

One of my favorite events in April is the Aprilfeesten (‘April Parties’) at Nieuwmarkt, each year at the end of the month. For many it marks the beginning of living outdoors again.

Spring time

Amsterdammers are curious creators; once the sun starts shining we have to feel it on our skins and soak it up. It’s so bad that a lot of people even put their couch or chair outside and just claim the street (or as we call it stoepjekapen). Maybe it is because Amsterdam is so crowded and that a lot of us don’t have an outdoor space, or maybe it is just because we crave the sun, who know. Anyway Aprilfeesten marks the beginning for partying outside again.

Aprilfeesten has been around for a long time, over 30 years. It once started out as an event for the people who lived close by the Nieuwmarkt, to get to know each other. So definitely not for people from other areas in Amsterdam. But over the years the party became bigger and better, so soon everybody was whispering about it. Nowadays Aprilfeesten is still here for the lucky few who live nearby Nieuwmarkt, to get to know each other. However, it’s also the worst kept secret, so every year there are a lot of party crashers. And for me that makes the party even better.

So please, just be sure to stay away from Nieuwmarkt April next week…