Dutchies LOVE to celebrate. They know how to live life and enjoy it to the full. In the summer time there's a music, art or food festival going on nearly every day. Parks are chock full of people as soon as the sun is shining. Dutchies don't like rain and cold, so as soon as spring arrives you'll see them sitting outside on cafe terraces and bbqing in the parks. There is ALWAYS something to do in this city though, rain or shine.
Pluk de nacht - its literally a drive in movie festival on a beach in the city. Its totally free, you can even bring your own couches and there's some nice food trucks there to provide food and drinks.
Koninendag is the biggest party in Europe. Literally. King's day (because the queen stepped down 2 years ago or it would still be Queen's day) is a sea of orange, beer, garage sales, techno parties and craziness.Trams, trains, buses and cars stop on this day as the streets are packed with people like sardines. But its fun, everyone dresses in orange, eats great street food and dances to concerts on streets all over the city. If you plan on being in Amsterdam on King's Day, be prepared for huge crowds, no vacancy signs and lots of drunk party people. But...its still fun. And its very easy to make it a family thing if you have little ones.
Amsterdam light festival- the lights are already up! Every year in November, Amsterdam lights up the night with beautiful art installations all over the city. The festival runs from November 28th-January 15th, 2016. This website gives you the locations and walking or boat routes. This year's theme is Friendship. I highly recommend bundling up on a chilly evening, grabbing a warme chocolade (hot chocolate) from a cafe and strolling through the streets of Amsterdam to see the beautiful lights! "Veel gezellig!"
Rollende Keukens- "Rolling Kitchens" is a food truck festival in Westerpark and when I went it was pure INSANITY. Ever been on a subway in India? Yeah, that's what its like. The soft, fresh baked pretzle I had was good, but it wasn't worth the crowd. There are tons of other festivals in the summer, go here and find some good ones...http://awesomeamsterdam.com/agenda/
Sinterklaas is December 5th this year. On December 4th, all the children in the Netherlands fill their shoes with carrots and straw for Sint's horses. Yeah, no reindeer for this guy. If the children are good, Sint will leave them candy and cookies (peppernoten) and small gifts. If they are naughty, Sinterklaas' helpers, zwaarte pieten, will put them in a burlap sack and send them to Spain! Tell me how that is a punishment...? Sint usually arrives in the Netherlands with much fanfare a few weeks before the day of Sinterklaas. The entire city comes out, really, for a parade with Sint bringing up the rear on his gleaming white steed. There has been some controversy in the last few years about zwaarte piet, they paint their faces black, which for Dutchies is no big whoop. But for Americans it can be very uncomfortable considering our history of racism.
Museum Dagen There are also a few days during the year when the museums are either free, discounted or showcased. On Monument Day, you can climb to the top of beautiful cathedrals and historic buildings to get a great view of Amsterdam, for free. There is also Museum Nacht (museum night) when all of the museums are open during the middle of the night. Usually they all close at 5 or 6pm, this weekend adds more of a party atmosphere as well. Check this website to find out all the dates of the free/discounted museum days. Here's a list of some of the most well known museums in Amsterdam: Rijksmuseum, Anne Frank House, Rembrandt House, Van Gogh, Steedlijk, Jewish History Museum, Troppen Museum, Heineken, and the Botanical Gardens. There is also Nemo, a children's science museum and the Artis Zoo.
Canal Cruises are another lovely way to explore Amsteram. There are MANY different tours you can take, I recommend those that stay away from the red light district, the tour guides can be very disrespectful to the women working in the windows and your children will see things they can't unsee. Most of what they say is also untrue.
But there are plenty of historic tours you can take, I went on a night cruise and it was the best. Some offere dinner, but they are more expensive. You can also decide whether you want a glass topped boat or n open air boat. You can also rent out boats, if you know how to drive one. Or you can even rent out your own private tour from locals who make a little extra cash on the side giving tourists rides on their own private boats. Paddle boats are aslo available to rent. Some hotels offer discount passes on cruises, but check your IAmsterdam card too, they almost always have a canal cruise discount. Another highly recommended activity in Amsterdam, you get a totally different view of the city.
Free Walking Tours are a good way to hear about the history of Amsterdam as you walk through its ancient streets. But be careful, I've heard the people giving the tours spout some pretty ridiculous things that are not true. Some tend to make light of prostitution and drug use as well and will often walk through the red light district. My friend used to do photo tours of the city, I will see if I can find any reputable sites on the web offering actual educational and accurate historical walking tours.
Kermis - Every so often you will find Dam Square (the city center) is filled with carnival rides and berlinnerbollen, (yummy cream puffs) and bratwurst stands. The Kermis stops in Amsterdam during fall break and usually sometime around Christmas and New Year's and other times throughout the year. You can ride Europe's largest traveling ferris wheel and get a spectacular view of the city.
Here are some more great websites on Museum Cards and the Holland Pass if you are traveling to other cities in the Netherlands...
http://www.iamsterdam.com/en/