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 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 Ludwig and EVE, with famous national and international DJ's and drag queens, attracting a large crowd of gay and gayminded people.
- April 29, Queen's Night: 20.00 - 01.00 hrs.
- April 30, Queen's Day: 12.00 - 20.00 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.
- April 29, Queen's Night: 19.00 - 01.00 hrs.
- April 30, Queen's Day: 12.00 - 20.00 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!
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 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's held in the western part of the street, between EVE and Ludwig. 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.
BLOC & Havana street party
In 2011 there's for the first time also a party at the front part of the street, organized by BLOC and Havana.
- 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.
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:
* The Pink Christmas Fair is back in Reguliersdwarsstraat. From 14:00 till 22:00 hrs you are welcome in this most famous and trendy Amsterdam gay street!
* At the fair you can do your Christmas shoppings at 25 market stands with lots of gadgets, books, music, pancakes, leather bags, accessoires, cupcakes, fashion items, jewellery, scarves and beanies, parfume, cheesecake, etc.
* The fair will be surrounded by various LGBTQ-choirs singing christmas carols.
* Also the belgian porn-actor Philippe Delvaux will be present form 14.30 - 16.00 hrs to sign copies of his new calendar an the Gay News magazine.
* Finally, there's also a fashion show starting at 20.00 hrs, with hot models who will show you the latest gay fashion.
* Afterwards you can stay until late for a drink in the great bars of this street!
* More info about the Pink Christmas events around the city: www.pinkchristmas.nl
Pink Christmas Fair in Reguliersdwarsstraat (2009)
BACKGROUND INFO:
Pink Christmas is a 14-day event with a variety of gay activities in Amsterdam. In Reguliersdwarsstraat there is a Pink Christmas Fair and some other 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 (2008)
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 (2008)
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. In the following years this event was moved to a bigger skating space at the Leidseplein.
2010
In the year 2010 almost all the gay venues in the street had to close because of the bankruptcy and death of their owner Sjoerd Kooistra. The Pink Christmas Fair was therefore held at Zeedijk. In Reguliersdwarsstraat there were only posters remembering the glorious past of the big gay venues, and a nice mural at the Carlton Hotel:
Christmas decoration underneath the Carlton Hotel (2010)
Pictures of the Christmas Fair in Reguliersdwarsstraat:
