Get ready to turn city orange

Dutch dancers will be out in force at tomorrow's Holland Festival. Photo / Peter de Graaf

Northland's Dutch community will once again be dusting off their clogs and donning their finest orange outfits for Whangarei's Holland Festival tomorrow.

Now in its fourth year, and drawing a record 4000 people last year, this year's knees-up will take place at the Quarry Arts Centre on Selwyn Ave from noon.

The event mirrors the annual festivities in Holland honouring the Dutch royal family. One of the world's biggest outdoor parties, it draws a million people on to Amsterdam's streets and canals.

The Whangarei version starts with a kids' market, where children can sell their old toys, make crafts or entertain. Traditional games begin at 1pm, including such favourites as koekhappen (bite the biscuit) and spijkerpoepen (ask a Dutch person to translate).

Royal crafts and story-telling will also help keep young visitors entertained. Dutch delicacies on sale will include oliebollen (Dutch dough-nuts), poffertjes (mini pancakes), haring (pickled herring), broodje kroket (croquette rolls), dropjes (salted licorice) and cheese. DJ Van Gaalen, from The Hague, will play Dutch music, and after 3pm borrelen (drinks, mingling and possibly Dutch karaoke) is likely. A full bar is available.

Co-organiser Monique Dane said this year's festival was especially significant because it would be the first time in more than a century that the Dutch had celebrated a king. King Willem-Alexander was crowned last year after the abdication of his mother, Queen Beatrix, ending a 123-year run of queens as the Dutch head of state.

The festival, known in the Netherlands as Koningsdag (King's Day), is celebrated there on Willem-Alexander's birthday, April 27.

Entry will be free to anyone wearing orange; orange items will be available at the gate for $2.