What to do in Amsterdam in April 2014

Tiptoeing through the tulips, April has arrived with a full bag of interesting events in Amsterdam. I have been waiting for some of them for a few months now, so I’m happy that they’re almost here. This is my bucket list for next month, I hope it will inspire you too.

• Amsterdam Pillow Fight Day, on April 5 in Dam Square. I missed it last year and I definitely want to see it this time, to see Dam Square covered in feathers and joy, and to feel like a kid again. It’s free, anyone can come, just bring a soft pillow and a playful mood!
• The beer season starts every year with the Meibock Festival, on April 13. It’s a good opportunity to taste over 40 types of beers, made especially for spring, in an interesting location — the Posthoornkerk on Haarlemmerstraat – a former church that is used for events nowadays.
• The spring snow season officially starts on 21 April, and will last about one month. It’s the time of year when the elms release their seeds like a natural confetti all over the city. You don’t need to be in a specific location, just wander around the city, or follow the 8 kilometres elms route.
• King’s Day, which replaced the Queen’s Day celebration, will be taking place this year on 26 April. I’m sure the party will be as great as the previous ones, but I’m a little bit upset that we don’t get to skip a work day as it’s on a Saturday this time.
• Stedelijk’s temporary photo exhibitions have been on my list for a while, this month I will definitely get there.
• I would like to see Boom Chicago show “What’s Up With Those Beards”, and maybe they will solve this mystery for me, because I’m definitely seeing an increasing number of men with hairy beards everywhere in the city!

And, as a bonus, there two lovely gardens, outside Amsterdam but not that far (that’s the beauty of living is such a small country!) that shouldn’t be missed this month:

• The biggest garden in the world, Keukenhof in Lisse, already opened its gates in March, and the flowers are waiting for us to visit, and admire them. I need to pick a sunny day for visiting this time, to see the colours in perfect light!
• Another beautiful place is the cherry garden in Amsterdamse Bos, in Amstelveen. There is even a Cherry Blossom Festival (Sakura celebration) in Amstelveen, which will be held on 12 April this year. Although I want to go on a different day, when there aren’t so many people. I would like to have a quiet time among the cherry trees.

This is all I have in mind, but I’m curious, what is it on your bucket list for April?