SAIL Amsterdam 2010, August 19 - 23

Every five year SAIL, boat festival, takes over the IJ river showcasing impressive "tall ships", naval ships, and modern yachts for a weekend.

On Thursday check out the traditional parade from IJmuiden to Amsterdam from 10.00 - 15.00 where you will see hundreds of ships making their way to thier mooring places and preparing for the ceremonial salute from 13.00 - 15.00 at Sixhaven. Check out the rest of the program for more details and events.

Pluk de Nacht, outdoor film festival

The best film festival of the year- Pluk de Nacht (loosely translated to: take the night, literally pick the night), August 5 - 15, starts at dark, FREE!

Every evening a new film, some art, a disco, food and beers on het IJ.  Check out the lastest fave o nteh net- Winnebago Man Friday August 13th.

Dragon boat race

European Nations Championship-Dragon Boat Race @ Amsterdamse Bos (bosbaan), August 13 - 15, various times, FREE!!!

Final party before renovation @ OCCII, July 11th

Party + Music: last party before renovation with the KUMBIA QUEERS @ OCCII, Sunday July 11th, 22.00 - 02.00, €5.

OCCII will undergo renovation this summer, so say one last goodbye and party with the Kumbia Queers- a "punk tropical" band from Mexico and Argentina.

A summer trip: Muiden, a Fort and a castle

Although Amsterdam has lots to offer we recommend you leave the city at least every once and a while and since the weather is so nice we thought we might include a suggestion for a nice summer bike trip to Muiden, a fort and castle just outside Amsterdam. An interesting bike trip is to Muiden a small town just some 15 kilometres southeast of Amsterdam.
There you will find Muiderslot, a Dutch castle located at the mouth of the river Vecht, which flows into what used to be the Zuiderzee (now IJsselmeer). It's one of the better-known castles in the Netherlands and has been featured in many television shows set in the Middle Ages.

If you are not into castles you could visit a fort just 30 minutes off the coast of Muiden. Fort Pampus which is part of the Defence Line of Amsterdam and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Both sistes are great visits for kids and adults alike, giving you insight into Dutch history and its long relationship with the water.

Desperate Housewives-esque party @ Tolhuistuin June 26th

Event: DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES  @ Tolhuistuin, Saturday June 26th, 14:00 – 23:00, €5. 

A themed desperate housewives night with music, dance, workshops and food . Includes a high tea with "housewives" and complete with cupcakes and cucumber sandwiches! Moblie shopping trolley disco, housewives bingo, chocolade fontein, tombola, the price is right, fashion show and samba band Bumba Amsterdam. Dresscode - Betty Boob, Mien Dobbelsteen, Freddy (I want to break free) Mercury, Amy Housewine, bloemetjesjurken, and schorts.

Monthly rommelmarkt /flea market @ Blijburg, Sunday June 27th

Market: Monthly market @ Blijburg, 11.00 - 16.00, FREE. 

A monthly (every last Sunday of the month in summer) market "uit kofferbakken" out of your boot/trunk with lots of clothes, gifts, music, food, and fun. If you want to sell stuff yourself mail kofferbakmarkt [at] gmail.com it costs 5 euros to stand out on the urban beach trying to make your sale! but otherwise free for shoppers and browsers.  Afterwards enjoy the beach.

Flea market @ NDSM werf, June 27th

Open Air Flea Market / Vlooiemarkt @ Ij-hallen, Amsterdam Noord, Sunday June 27th, 9.00 - 16.30, €3.50 €1.50 for kids. You can take a free ferry to NDSM-werf from behind Central Station, leaving every half hour, or buses 91 and 94 get off at Klaprozenweg.

This is a monthly market (it is huge). Lots of stuff for filling a house, antiques, toys, furniture, knick-knacks, etc... furthermore the stands change frequently and this outside/open air version is much larger than the inside market. There is also music and food & drinks available. Go find something Kitsch Kitchen-esque??:) at half the price.

Day of Architecture, June 27th and 28th

Event: National Architecture Day @ various locations throughout NL- see ARCAM for Amsterdam events, Sunday June 27th, 10.00 - 17.00, €7.50/ticket includes access to all buildings including the busses touring from project to project.

The annual National Architecture Day takes place throughout the Netherlands, with sites openingtheir doors for tours and exploration. The theme this year is ‘Re-use’. The Amsterdam event, hosted by the BNA (Association of Dutch Architects) and ARCAM, will spotlight recently reused/renovated buildings, each with their unique story and rebuilds (some finished and others in process).

Buildings that will be opened for public:

1. Kraanspoor, Kraanspoor

2. MTV Networks Benelux, Neveritaweg

3. NDSM-loods, Neveritaweg

4. Smederij, Neveritaweg

5. Silo’s Zeeburgereiland, IJburglaan (the future the Annie M. G. Schmidt house)

6. Slibvijzelgemaal Zeeburgereiland, IJburglaan

7. Kauwgomballenfabriek, Paul van Vlissingenstraat

8. Burgerziekenhuis, Linaeusstraat

9. ARCAM, Prins Hendrikkade 600

10. The Bank, Rembrandtplein (a new office centre and supermaket at Rembrandt square)

11. De Bazel, Vijzelstraat (Opens at 11.00)

12. Duintjer CS, Vijzelstraat

13. Schijnheilig, Passeerdersgracht 23

14. De Hallen (tramremise), Bellamyplein

15. Centrale Markthal, Jan van Galenstraat 4

16. Toren Overhoeks, Buiksloterweg

Cirque Excentrique @ Blijburg, Saturday June 26th

Party: Cirque Excentrique @ Blijburg, Saturday June 26th, 22.00 - late, €8.

A crazy night of surprises, tunes and fun on the beach - Miami Beach style!

Sleazefest @ Timboektoe, June 26th

Party: Sleazefest @ Timboektoe, Wijk aan Zee, Saturday June 26th, 18.00 - late, 9 euro 99 cents:).

Another round of the Sleazefest (#12) makes it way to the beach this time. With a line up 10 live bands (reverend beat-man sixtyniners, anacondas, honeyfly), rock 'n roll djs and the best party you will find on beach to set the summer off right!

Pecha Kucha Night - summer edition @ Tolhuistuin, June 23rd

Event: Pecha Kucha Night @ Tolhuistuin, Wednesday, June 23rd, doors open at 20:50 (it's always sold out so get there on time, not fashionably late) starts at 21.30, €7, some presentations in English others in Dutch.

A modern spin on show-in-tell, Pecha Kucha Night shows it face again on Wednesday night for the summer edition. With 12 presenters sharing their images, new projects, brilliant thoughts and inspiring topics on 20 slides of 20 seconds. Check out the line-up: Nalden (Nalden.net), Leonard van Munster, Rob Voerman, Zelda Beauchampet, David Mulder/Max Cohen de Lara (X-M-L), Walter Langelaar (Moddr), Joris van Tubergen (Protospace), Hessel Stuut, Menno van der Veen (Welcome to Youtopia), Piet Meeuws/Job Martens (Also Starring), Dim Balsem, Bram Esser.

Art In Motion, experimental German film festival @ Smart Project Space June 18th - 20th

Film + Festival : Art in Motion Festival @ Smart Project Space, Friday June 18th - 20th, various times, various prices.

The Goethe instiute Amsterdam and the Smart Project Space have held an on-going film series "Art in Motion" which explored the multi-faceted history of experimental fimmaking in Germany since the beginning of the 20th century to present. The conclusion of the series features a special three day festival which features a wide range of films, lecutres, documentaries, disucssions, and music.

Open Tuin Dagen / Open garden days, June 18th - 20th

Event: Open Garden Days @ various gardens in the City, June 18 - 20th, 10.00 - 17.00, €15 for all three days.

The annual Open Garden Days organized by the Amsterdam Canal Museums takes place again on the third weekend of June. Thirty canal gardens will be open to the public around the theme 'Courts and Community Gardens'. Starting locations include: Bijbels Museum, Herengracht 366-368; Huis Marseille, Keizersgracht 401; Museum Van Loon, Keizersgracht 672; Amnesty International, Keizersgracht 177; Museum Willet-Holthuysen, Herengracht 605. A map can be found on the Open Garden Days site.

Mid-Summer Market @ Tolhuistuin June 20th

Market: Midsummer Market Noord @ Tolhuistuin, Sunday June 20th, Sunday June 20th, 13.00 - 18.00, FREE.

The monthly fashion, art and design market take shte stage at the Tolhuistuin. thsi market, usually held in Westerpark, is a platform for designers, and artists to showcase their work which includes: interior deisgn, ceramic, fashion, vintage, jewerly, accessories, drawing, "affordable art" as well as good food, drinks and tunes.

Amsterdam Roots Festival @ Oosterpark, June 17th - 19th

Festival: Amsterdam Roots Festival @ Oosterpark but also at five other locations/clubs, June 17th - 20th,  various times, FREE.

The annual Amsterdam Roots Festival presents music, dancing and presentations for a weekend of 'Voices' - an emphasis on the urban voices of the hip-hop. All types of music including Portuguese fadoster, Congolese rumba, reggae, rough funk, antillian tunes, flamenco, etc.. The festival is free and everyday from Oosterpark from 12.00 - 22.00 with seven podium in the park, which also includes a world market with more than 100 market stands.

La Nuit Blanche, night of June 19th

Event: La Nuit Blanche / All night art festival @ throughout the City, Saturday June 19th, 19.00 - 07.00, FREE.

All night/12 hour festival: music, shows, art installations, private and public galleries, haunted play house/circus. WIth events at various locations including: Tolhuistuin, Illuseum, de Brakke Grond, Amsterdam Centraal, Street Lab_, but also throughout the center. Rocket Cinema will be presenting train classics on spoor 2 at the train station with "Murder on the Orient Express", "Brief Encounter" and "The Great Train Robbery" with dj's, bands and singer songwriters playing a new soundtrack. But be sure to check out the Illuseum with a funky party and the GPS guided trip for your fun evening.

New York Underground film @ OT301, June 15th

Film: THe Cult Corner: NY Underground @ OT301, Tuesday, June 15, 20.30, 4 euros.


OT301 will be showing two films on Tuesday: Paris Is Burning (1990) which documents a world that was a secret until the dance style "voguing" arose thansk to Madonna. Dark Days (2000) a film about the undeground subway communities in Manhattan.

Rebel Without A Cause @ Filmtheater, Sunday June 13th

Film: Zondagmiddagklassieker: Rebel Without A Cause @ Filmtheater, Sunday June 13th, 12.00, price of film.

A classic film for a lazy Sunday afternoon- ' Rebel without a Cause' (1955). Also enjoy a free cup coffee or tea. while watching James Dean on film. In English.

Atelier route Boven Het IJ, June 12th - 13th

Open Atelierroute: Boven 't IJ /Open artist studios @ various locations in Amsterdam-Noord and in the Waterlandse villages of Nieuwendam, Schellingwoude, Durgerdam, Ransdorp and Holysloot, Saturday June 12th and Sunday June 13th, 13 - 18ish, FREE, stuff for the kids.

The atelierroute in Amsterdam Noord brings you from industrial areas to the countryside, with ports, dijkjes, and many artists! 70 professional artists open their doors for your viewing. There are various activities beyond viewing studios, such as workshops, poetry readings, parties, as well as music. A good excuse to get out and explore Amsterdam Noord.