“An unforgettable day every time”

Sleeping in is not an option on Good Friday, for market master Jordy Bakker. As early as 4 a.m. he and his colleagues are in the city center of Groningen to ensure that the annual Flower Market runs smoothly. First the entrepreneurs from the goods market set up their stall – as they do every Friday – followed by the entrepreneurs who have come to the city from both near and far to sell their flora. You won’t hear Bakker complaining. “It’s a fantastically beautiful day. Always busy and there is a good atmosphere. Very special to organize something like this.”

From simple succulents and flower bulbs to large houseplants and even rain barrels; No matter what you think of it, you will find it at the flower market, as the event is popularly called. “From the Akerkhof to the Guldenstraat and from the Grote Markt to the Oude Ebbingestraat, everything is transformed into one big sea of ​​flowers and plants,” says Fred de Bruin of the Groningen City Club, the association that organizes the event annually in close collaboration with the Market System and the municipality of Groningen.

This year the market is being organized for the fortieth time. The first time was in 1983, in honor of the fifth anniversary of the return of the goods market to the city center. If the flower market were to be a success, the organizers – the municipality and the then retailers’ association – wanted to make it an annual event.

Nowadays, around 80 green entrepreneurs from all over the country reserve a spot every year, and the market attracts tens of thousands of visitors to the city. “If the weather is good, we are heading towards 50,000 visitors on such a day,” says De Bruin. About 60 percent of them come from Germany, from regions such as Leer, Bremen and Oldenburg.

Floral photo booth

In honor of the fortieth annual flower market, visitors can have their picture taken with flowers at a photo booth on the Grote Markt. In addition, in view of the increasing number of visitors, the flower depot will be expanded by 6 meters. De Bruin: “On the north side of the Grote Markt, visitors can store their purchases, so that they have their hands free to enjoy the rest of the market and the city.”

For the first time this year, the Nieuwe Markt will also be involved in the event. There, visitors can participate in a free flower arranging workshop. They will also find terraces and small surprises there. De Bruin thinks that it will not be limited to this time. “If it works out well, and I assume so, the expansion will be here to stay. The entrepreneurs of the Nieuwe Markt are very active. I assume that we will organize a lot of great things with them in the future.”

As far as both Bakker and De Bruin are concerned, the annual flower market should not disappear from Groningen. De Bruin: “It is an enormously positive impulse for both retail and catering entrepreneurs in the city center. In addition, it is always an unforgettable day full of fun and entertainment, for both residents and visitors of Groningen.”