Other than Sinterklaas in December. Carnaval is another major celebration that they celebrate in this part of the world, especially the southern part of the Netherlands. In Weert too, carnaval is a big party celebrated for generations.
What is carnaval exactly?
Traditionally, carnaval is a Limburg version of Carnival. A celebration of the six-weeks marking before Easter Sunday. A dress up roles (almost like Halloween) hugely celebrated by the locals. The atmosphere for the parade day is fun and lively! A carnaval prince will be crown, one who will lead the carnaval parade. Every city in the south Netherlands would have a different date of the carnival parade (carnaval optocht). The parade in Weert is on Sunday, 23 February 2020 (cancelled due to weather condition).
Around this time of the year, all the preparation of Carnaval would be happening, the costume of shopping, the decoration of the floats, the party preparations and much more! Shops such as actions and supermarkets would already be selling carnaval accessories. But if you are looking for more extravagant costumes, here are some shops that you can check out:
Feestwinkle de Boemelaar (Langstraat 32, Weert - in the city)
Party Time Feestwinkel (Massport 60, Weert)
Rogstaekers is the nickname for the inhabitants of Weert during the Carnaval days, and also the name of the largest carnaval association from Weert (source: Wikipedia). The name is derived from the "Rogstaekers legend". There are different clubs in Weert, where a group of people gets together and work on different concepts of the floats to compete in the parade.
Children at school will be having their mini parade - a scale down version to manage the energy of the little ones. The teachers will send a circulation that the kids can role-dressed to schools, and they will do different activities around the carnaval theme; such as choosing a prince/princess of the carnaval, decorating a DIY carnaval float in class, etc.
Find out more details on the route and parking here.
Please take note that the main street around the city would be closed to prepare for this parade. The best way would be to cycle or walk into the city and watch the parade.
Get dress up, and have a fun carnaval experience!
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