From Friday 9 December to Sunday 8 January, the Dordt town centre will be Dordt December Days the festive winter decor of the most beautiful, fun and cozy activities. Both inside the stores and restaurants, as well as outside on the streets. Among other things, the lights, music, theater, attractive shop windows, the magical Dwaalspoor and cozy wooden chalets with tasty snacks and drinks make the inner city into one big experience. It is really worth coming several times. No evening is the same!
Enjoying December magic downtown.
Atmospheric Winter Squares
At four locations in the city center, from December 9 through 18, there will be atmospheric Winter Squares with cozy wooden chalets. The chalets are on the Voorstraat near City Hall, the Vriesestraat (t.h.v. Distilleerderij Rutte), the Scheffersplein and in the Grotekerkstuin. You will encounter local catering entrepreneurs such as Brut, DOK, Christa's Cookies, Wijnhuis 167, Luca and the Remise. Every evening from 5:30 to 10 p.m., when the cozy lights are on, enjoy delicious winter bites and drinks to go. In the Great Church Garden, there is a little more space. There are also several picnic tables there so you can socialize with friends and family!
TIP: for the full program, check out dordtsedecemberdays.nl and follow us on Facebook and Instagram @dordtsedecemberdays.
On an adventure in the city
If you walk the Wanderlust route, of course stop by the large photo frame on the Houttuinen by the statue of the giraffe. The perfect place for a selfie to share via your socials, and don't forget to tag @dordtsedecemberdays! Besides the Dwaalspoor, there are more walks. Ontdek Dordrecht offers evening walks and there is also an interactive route for children along several shop windows. By shining the light of your phone into a shop window, you activate a surprising animation. The Dordrecht reindeer Rudi will tell you a story about his search for the most beautiful Dordrecht Christmas presents. Check out dordtsedecemberdagen.nl/etalages for all participating shop windows.
Great Church in the spotlight
The Christmas & Winter Fair on Dec. 16 and 17 at the Great Church is great fun to visit. Christmas decorations, gifts and Christmas centerpieces are sure to be found here.
In addition to the fair, carillonneur Boudewijn Zwart plays the carillon of the Grote Kerk every Wednesday evening from 8:00 to 8:30 p.m. The light projection of Dwaalspoor makes the Grote Kerk, as well as the tower, move with the sound of the bells.
Festive activities in Dordrecht museums
The Kunstkerk, Huis van Gijn and the Dordrecht Museum are festively decorated. In the Kunstkerk, light art exhibition LUCID is on display. In Huis van Gijn there is a special light tour. And what's also fun is the film projection from the Dordrecht Patrician House on Wolwevershaven, on view during Dwaalspoor. In addition, on Friday and Saturday evenings during Dwaalspoor, you will literally and figuratively walk through a breathtaking light expo in the Museum Garden! The rest of the week, this expo can only be admired from the street.
Sing-a-long and evening cruises
What you really have to be there for is the Sing-a-long on December 16 and 17 at the Stadhuisplein with singer Joris Lutz and band. There will be a cozy tent with all kinds of delicacies and then sing along with the familiar Christmas songs!
December magiccan also be experienced from the water again this year. From the Wijnbrug there will be Evening Cruises. Throughout the period of the Dordt December Days, the Klein Schippersgilde offers Evening Cruises along a number of illuminated objects. Extra magical from the water.
Street theater and Christmas music boat
On the weekends of December 10 & 11 and 16 to 18, you will encounter live entertainment at various locations in the center. Among the artists are many Dordtse toppers. You will naturally bump into them while shopping for Christmas gifts.
On December 9, 23 and 30 and January 6 from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., Reinier Sijpkens sails his cozy Christmas music boat through the Wolwevershaven. Enjoy his Christmas music on the docks of this beautiful historic harbor. Do you have any request songs?
Wrapping service: from gift to dream gift
Unwrap by having your gift wrapped? You can! At several locations in downtown Dordrecht you can have your purchase transformed in no time into a dazzling dream gift, straight out of American Christmas movies. This service is completely free, but a voluntary donation to the National Fund for Children is welcome. You can find the wrapping service at VVV Dordrecht (Spuiboulevard99), at Vriesestraat 79 (also Doe Dordrecht Kadowinkel) and Kolfstraat 15-17 from December 16-18 & 22 t/24.
Extra wrapping service: Atelier Groenmarkt
A fourth location to have your gifts beautifully wrapped for free is Atelier Groenmarkt, next to lunchroom Den Witten Haen, at Groenmarkt 19b. People with a distance to the labor market work here. Unlike the other wrapping locations, you can come here the entire month of December from Monday to Friday from 10:00 to 15:00. Want to see all the information, dates and times at a glance? Then click here!
Give them warmth!
The Dordt December Days are linked to the National Children's Aid Fund, which works to help children in poverty. In the Netherlands, more than 300,000 children aged 0 to 21 live in poverty. That is 1 in 12 children, an average of two per school class. The national campaign "Give them warmth!" suits the cold winter months. With this campaign Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp gives children literally warm clothing, but also figuratively the warm feeling of belonging. From December 9 to 11, Nationaal Fonds Kinderhulp will be in one of the wooden houses on the Winter Square on the Vriesestraat (t.h.v. Distilleerderij Rutte). Buy a unique "Give them warm hat" here or become a donor. The hats are also for sale throughout the December month at the VVV (Spuiboulevard 99). You can also make a financial contribution at one of the wrapping service locations and, of course, always via kinderhulp.nl.
