09 September 2009

400 years / 400 wheels

Dutch love is in the air...

it's NY400 week!

Four hundred years ago, Henry Hudson and the Dutch ship the Halve Maen ('Half Moon') arrived at what is now New York Harbor. To celebrate our city's Dutch roots, the New Amsterdam Village (in Bowling Green Park) has a packed schedule of events this weekend including traditional Dutch canal houses, windmill, traditional crafts (wooden shoes making, glass blowing and a floral workshop), cheeses, herring, poffertjes, stroopwafels, flower bulbs, green roofs, AND you can borrow a bright orange Dutch bike (it's free)...

400 wheels, 200 orange Batavus bicycles, left the Netherlands and landed in New York as a special gift celebrating 400 years of friendship. Later this year, most of the bikes will be donated to Recycle-A-Bicycle. The rest will be auctioned to the public, supporting a charitable cause.


To top it off, a festival of Dutch design, fashion and architecture on Governors Island to celebrate NY400 takes place this weekend (and next).

Pioneers of Change was conceived and curated by Renny Ramakers, co-founder and director of Droog, to showcase a modern interpretation on Dutch art and design. The exhibit will take place in former officers’ houses in Nolan Park on Governors Island + there will be a pop-up store of affordable Dutch designware (all under $100).

Photos via NY400

No comments:

Post a Comment

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...