Information
Put it in your diary every year: Celebrate King's Day at Oranjemarkt Veldhoven in the Citycentrum!
The Oranjemarkt is a non-commercial flea market, free to attend, with stage programs and entertainment! An approachable family event FROM, FOR AND BY VELDHOVEN! Key words here are: meet, present and entertain. Every year, we welcome over 20,000 visitors.
It is impossible to imagine Veldhoven’s event calendar without this celebration and it is highly appreciated by the municipality, local entrepreneurs, associations and, last but not least, the Veldhoven and regional population. This is also due to the tireless efforts of the many enthusiastic volunteers, who each year ensure that visitors are offered a royal feast. During the Oranjemarkt, Veldhoven shows that it is bustling with activities, for young and old, by young and old. This makes living, working and life in Veldhoven and its surroundings even better.
Goals of Oranjemarkt?
The Oranjemarkt Veldhoven has 3 goals: meeting, presenting and entertaining.
People should be able to meet in a pleasant environment. Local and non-profit organisations can show what they do in a low-threshold way and possibly recruit members. The event explicitly targets families with children. The common thread is the free market where everyone can offer stuff for sale, make music or show off their hobby. In past years, some 180 market stalls were rented out. In addition, kids take up hundreds of ground spots on the grounds.
Several stages are the second ingredient of the Oranjemarkt. On these stages, talents and associations can present themselves with singing, dancing and music.
Of great importance is also the third goal: entertainment! Entertainment at the Oranjemarkt is mainly aimed at parents with children aged up to 14. By focusing on this, the organisation of Oranjemarkt Veldhoven wants to attract families to the market. That is why there is now a special children’s square, street theatre, clowns and music groups. On the various terraces, everyone can enjoy live music. And…there is also plenty of room to play.
History
The Oranjemarkt Veldhoven originated from an initiative of parish Sint-Maarten. When it was announced in 1988 that a Catholic church could be built in Heikant, all kinds of recruitment drives were held. One was the Kempen Spectacle in 1989, at Peter Benenson Park. A great event with the goal of generating funds for the church to be built.
Several years later, a second version arrived. This time around St. Martin’s Church (inaugurated in 1990), the Atalanta and surrounding streets. Very atmospheric. Catering took place from the church building and volunteers were called from the parish. The goal then was: an organ for the church. The entire organization also involved the Heikant Neighborhood Interests Foundation. Among other things, this one organized the children’s games. The responsibility for the market was with the parish.
As the grounds around the church became too small, people started looking for alternatives. Cooperation was sought with the Severinus Foundation to organize a similar event on Queen’s Day. It became the Oranjemarkt, which moved to the grounds of De Berkt. From then on, the main purpose of the Oranjemarkt Veldhoven is to strengthen the ties between the residents of Veldhoven and create a cozy and lively atmosphere together.
From 1999 to 2017 Oranjemarkt Veldhoven was found in residential area De Berkt, on the border of the Heikant and Oerle. In this neighborhood, people from the Severinus Foundation with intellectual disabilities live together with “ordinary families. Since the move of Oranjemarkt to De Berkt, the neighborhood and the Severinus have been closely involved in organizing the market. A cooperation that for years has been more than perfect in a constructive and friendly atmosphere. This formula uniquely shapes the integration of mentally disabled citizens in our community. At that time, the actual Orange Fair organization consisted of an active group of enthusiasts of about 15 people. In addition, over 100 volunteers are on hand to make this event possible. In recent years, the Oranjemarkt Veldhoven attracted over 20,000 visitors from Veldhoven and, increasingly, its immediate surroundings.
Since 2018, the Oranjemarkt has taken place at the Citycentrum and the first edition at this location was a great success with great weather! The new location offers many advantages. First of all, the infrastructure is much better and we are less weather-dependent because much of the City Center is covered. We do notice that income from sponsorships has been declining in recent years and that recruiting volunteers has not been easy either. Unfortunately, corona has dropped our market in 2020 and 2021. On 27 April 2022, we were still able to organise an Oranjemarkt again, on a one-off slightly smaller scale than other years, due to the uncertainty and short preparation time, but just as enjoyable! From 2023, we will organise the Oranjemarkt in the Citycentrum every year again on King’s Day. In 2024, we celebrated the 30th anniversary of Oranjemarkt Veldhoven with 3 stages for performances for the first time.
Structure of the Oranjemarkt
The Oranjemarkt wants to emphatically distinguish itself from “just another” commercial fair or flea market… We deliberately choose a non-commercial format, free admission and free ground pitches and attractions for the kids! In addition, prices for “stall rental” have remained affordable. This way King’s Day in Veldhoven will be a real celebration OF, FOR and BY Veldhoven!!!
How can you organize a FREE event these days with only volunteers? This is only possible with the help of a large number of sponsors from businesses in Veldhoven and surroundings, Veldhoven municipality, income from catering (very weather-dependent) and the rental of market stalls (income from this is limited due to our goal of organizing a low-threshold event).
Are you or do you know a new sponsor for Oranjemarkt Veldhoven? Check out our page sponsors or send an email to
sponsoring@oranjemarktveldhoven.nl for more information.
Are you interested in becoming a volunteer at the Oranjemarkt? Do you get energy from seeing others enjoy themselves? If so, please contact us via email!
