Besides the various gay venues Reguliersdwarsstraat is also famous for some big street parties, traditionally held on Queen's Day, Gay Pride, and since 2008 also just before Christmas.
Queen's Day
April 30 - Queen's Night: April 29
(since 1949)
| |
|
Queen's Day is the celebration of the birthday of the dutch queen. Especially in Amsterdam this is a very popular event, which attracts hundreds of thousands to the city centre.
The distinctive color of this day is Orange, as that is also the name of the royal family. In Regulierdwarsstraat Queen's Day is traditionally celebrated with three street parties:
Gay Street Party
In the western part of the street the big gay venues organize a big street dance party between ARC and April, with famous national and international DJ's and drag queens, attracting a large crowd of gay and gayminded people.
- Queen's Night: 19.00 - 01.00 hrs.
- Queen's Day: 12.00 - 21.00 hrs.
Straight Street Parties
In the eastern part of the street there is a famous hiphop street party called Devil's Pie, organized by café De Duivel and a smaller party organized by Jantjes Verjaardag, both attracting a mainly straight crowd.
- Queen's Night: 19.00 - 01.00 hrs.
- Queen's Day: 12.00 - 21.00 hrs.
At night
Both the gay street party in the western part and the party by Jantjes Verjaardag are also held the evening before Queen's Day, the so called Queen's Night (Koninginnenacht).
After 21.00 hrs the parties continue until late inside the organizing venues!
Pictures of the Queen's Day street parties:
> Queen's Night 2010 &
Queen's Day 2010
> Queen's Night 2009 & Queen's Day 2009
> Queen's Day 2008
Links
- More info: www.koninginnedagamsterdam.nl
- See also: www.queensdayamsterdam.eu 
Gay Pride
First weekend of August
(since 1996)
| |
|
> Street parties on Friday 6th and Saturday 7th of August 2010
> Check our Calendar for all the details!
The Amsterdam Gay Pride is the largest gay event in the Netherlands. It is especially famous for the carnivalesque Canal Parade, in which, among many others, always one or two boats from Reguliersdwarsstraat venues participate.
In the street itself there are two great street parties, visited by thousands of gay and gay minded people:
International street party
The biggest party, with famous Dutch and international DJ's, drag queens and open air disco is organized by the big gay venues. It is held in the western part of the street, between ARC and April. Also there are beer taps outside all gay venues and some of the restaurants (until 1.00 hrs).
- Friday night: 19.00 - 24.00 hrs.
- Saturday: 13.00 - 24.00 hrs.
Caribbean street party
A smaller, tropical latin street party is held in the eastern part, in front of the organizing Reality Bar. Other bars in this part of the street have outside beer taps (until 1.00 hrs).
- Friday night: 19.00 - 24.00 hrs.
- Saturday: 13.00 - 24.00 hrs.
Drag King Betty Contest
In 2009 Gay Pride was also LesBian Pride. In Reguliers- dwarsstraat coffeeshop Betty Too organized the first Drag King contest, in which women dressed up as men.
On Wednesday they presented themselves on a catwalk in front of the coffeeshop, watched by an enthousiastic crowd. Unfortunately, the police ended the event after only 45 minutes, because of too much noise. The contest was continued a few days later in the Amsterdam public library, but will be held in Reguliersdwarsstraat again next year.
Drag King Betty Contest, July 29, 2009
More pictures of this event:
> Drag King Betty Contest 2009
Closing party
The official closing party of Gay Pride is held in front of the Stopera (city hall/opera house), not far away from Reguliersdwarsstraat.
- Sunday: 13.00 - 21.00 hrs.
Pictures of Reguliersdwarsstraat boats and street parties:
> Gay Pride 2009 Canal Parade
> Gay Pride 2009 Street Parties
> Gay Pride 2008 Canal Parade
> Gay Pride 2008 Street Party
> Gay Pride 2007 Parade & Parties
Links
- Official website: www.weareproud.nl
- www.amsterdampride.nl
- www.amsterdamgaypride.nl
- www.kingbetty.nl
Street party on Saturday night, August 4, 2007
Pink Christmas
Last weekend before Christmas
(since 2008)
| |
|
Pink Christmas is a new ten day event with a variety of gay activities in Amsterdam. In Reguliersdwarsstraat there is a Pink Christmas Fair and lots of other pink and winterly attractions.
Pink Christmas Fair
The first Pink Christmas Fair in Reguliersdwarsstraat was held on Sunday December 21, 2008. At the centre of the street there were market stands of gay bookshop Vrolijk, Black Body, RoB and Gays & Gadgets, but also of Amnesty International, one with fair trade products from Tibet and one with gay artwork:
Market stand with gay artwork
Gay Nativity Scene
In the garden of gay bar ARC there was a very stylish living nativity scene with drag queen Miss Windy Mills acting as the virgin Mary. This was meant to draw attention to the fact that in Christian religion there are still problems with homosexuality.
However, the rumour that there would be two Mary's and two Joseph's caused much criticism, not only from christian groups, but also from many gay people.
Living nativity scene in the garden of ARC
Drag Olympics
At the Geelvincksteeg, in front of Bar ARC, there was a small ice-rink, scene of the first Drag Olympics Winter Game, in which drag queens performed several ice-skating disciplines in a hilarious way.
Pictures of this fair in Reguliersdwarsstraat:
> Pink Christmas Fair 2009
> Pink Christmas Fair 2008
Links
- Official website: www.pinkchristmas.nl
- Also in Munich and Berlin: www.pink-christmas.de
|
