Holland Festival 2022 Moved to Labor Day Weekend

The annual Holland Festival in Long Beach has permanently moved to Labor Day Weekend and will be celebrated this year on Sunday, September 4th, 2022.

For many Southern California Indos, Memorial Day weekend in May was synonymous with the Holland Festival. The Holland Festival is an annual event celebrated at the P.O.A. Gemmrig Park in Long Beach. For more than 30 years, this event was held on the Sunday of Memorial Day weekend. It is an event created by the United Netherlands Organizations (UNO) – a non profit organization. The festival celebrates Dutch culture and Indo-Dutch culture. For many family and friends, it has become an annual reunion that attracts people of up to four generations from different states.

Anyone with a connection to the Netherlands and the former Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), are able to enjoy Dutch and Indonesian food. Several bands perform live music for people to (line) dance to. There are kids activities coordinated by the Dutch School of Southern California.  People stand in line for food starting as early as 10am, right after the opening. There are various vendors that sell arts and crafts, and various Dutch and Indonesian food products can be found at the Holland International Market booth.

For The Indo Project (a non-profit organization), the festival has become an important annual event. It is the time that we connect in-person with our followers and supporters, mostly people who have roots in the former Dutch East Indies. We answer questions about our shared heritage and inform the audience about TIP’s mission: The Indo Project is dedicated to the preservation, promotion, and celebration of Indo culture and history through education, unification and raising public awareness. It is a great opportunity to gather some of TIP’s educational materials and purchase merchandise to proudly show off our INDO PRIDE.

Why the Date Change?

Due to the COVID pandemic, the annual event scheduled for Memorial Day Weekend in May was canceled for 2020 and 2021. This was a great disappointment for many who were longing to reconnect.

After nearly two years of social distancing, the UNO decided to celebrate once again but on the Sunday of Labor Day weekend in September. But would people come?

A resounding YES! People overwhelmingly attended the first 2021 Holland Festival on Labor Day weekend, surpassing best estimates. People came from near and far wanting to celebrate with others once again.

UNO decided to continue celebrating the Holland Festival on Labor Day weekend. Not only because of its success, but also because of its other major event; the popular annual Dutch King’s Day celebration. This is usually celebrated on the Sunday closest to the King’s birthday on April 27th, nearly a month before the Holland Festival. Moving the Holland Festival to September gives a better spread of time and people can easily attend both events.

So…. mark your calendars for Sunday, September 4th! More information will be coming soon. Stay connected to TIP via Facebook and subscribe to our newsletter so you won’t miss any news and announcements!