Yes folks, this is the second in my series of posts answering the FAQs posed by my readers about Amsterdam’s food highlights.
Question: Are there any food festivals in Amsterdam? And when and where do they happen?
Answer: Ja zeker!
A celebration of food: top five food festivals
1. Taste of Amsterdam: held annually at the end of June in Amstelpark. Arriving in Amsterdam in 2009 (although Taste festivals already existed in several other major international cities), Taste attracts big-name restaurant chefs and food producers. There’s an entry fee, plus a token-based system for sampling taster plates.
2. New Food Fair: held annually on the first Saturday in September on the Haarlemmerstraat/dijk (this year: 4 September). All the local shops on this foodie street (plus various other small-scale producers) spill out onto the street, setting up stalls. Entry is free, plenty of free samples are given away, and small plates of food are also on offer for a price. The New food Fair is one of my favourites – a cute, local thing.
3. Underground Boerenmarkt: held for the first time on 16 May 2010 in a secret (central) Amsterdam location. For one day, non-commercial farmers, foodies and chefs displayed their wares to those in the know. Follow Talkin’ Food and keep your ear to the ground for details of future events…
4. Week van de Smaak: literally translated as the week of taste, this annual event is more of an initiative than a festival. Held throughout the Netherlands (this year: 19-26 September), the Week van de Smaak’s various activities take place in different cities. In Haarlem, the festival kicks off on 19 August with the ‘Fabulous Food Festival’, while the last day in Amsterdam culminates in the ‘Markt van 1001 Smaken’ at the Food Center.
5. Haarlem Culinair: not technically Amsterdam, this four-day culinary festival (this year: 5-8 August) takes place in Haarlem’s Grote Markt – a 15-minute train ride from Amsterdam Centraal. Worth a day trip!
