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Put simply, Amsterdam loves a decent party, and the celebration that brings Amsterdammers out on to the streets like no other in the festival year is Koningsdag (King’s Day) celebrated on April 27 in honor of their monarch, King Willem-Alexander. The whole city grinds to a halt for the day, impromptu markets and parties spring up in all the parks and on every street corner, and the canals are chock full of barges blaring music. The crowds wear orange—their Royal Family comes from the House of Orange—and float orange balloons, the bars overflow, everybody gets happily drunk, and dances and sings their hearts out. A jolly good time is had by all, late, late into the night.