There is so much to do in Groningen that you actually need a guide to tell you where you absolutely need to go. The student editors of UKrant open their cultural agenda for you again. What is their favorite hangout and what should you definitely not miss?
Hangout: Free Cafe Groningen
Imagine a place where everyone just walks in and sits down to a free dinner with a bunch of strangers, while the other tables are chatting around them.
That may sound like a fairy tale, but it is exactly what happens on Sunday evenings at the Free Cafe. This isn’t a place you just stumble upon, you really have to hear about it. In my case, an enthusiastic friend told me about the café in a former high school in Vinkhuizen, now a cultural breeding ground called Backbone050.
Every Wednesday you can pick up food and every Sunday there is a free vegetarian dinner, made with food that would otherwise end up in the container. Volunteers collect the ingredients at the market, at the Food Bank and from local businesses such as bakers.
For me, it’s all about the conversations you have with strangers while eating together
And then it begins: on Sundays people gather hours before dinner to cook and socialize. Everyone and all help is welcome, whether you help cut vegetables or wash the dishes afterwards.
That’s what I like most about the Free Cafe: not the free meal – although that’s a bonus for a student – but the sense of community. For me, it’s all about the conversations you have with strangers while eating together, or drying plates together.
After a week of busy running around, the slow rhythm here is very nice: you have time to take it easy and absorb all the positive energy of the people around you. I only just found out about the existence of the Free Cafe, but I already think this is one of the hidden gems of Groningen. And my friends agree with me.
Free Cafe Groningen
Travertine Street 12
Collection on Wednesday between 5:30 PM and 6:30 PM; dinner on Sunday from 6 p.m.
Where you can find me in the coming weeks:
Oost is mainly known as a club, but every Wednesday evening there is a pub evening. Then you sit at tables by candlelight and play board games such as UNO or chess. I find nothing more relaxing than sipping the cocktail special mid-week while playing a passionate game of table football with my friends. This way you really charge your battery for the remaining days.
Laughter is the best medicine, apparently, so hopefully an evening of comedy can repair the damage caused by the exam period. With three of the best comedians in the Netherlands and an MC who will talk the evening away, Comedy Tunes will certainly provide the necessary endorphins. If they are as funny as they promise, then this is definitely worth a visit.
Is there life on other planets? This is what the astronomers from Groningen’s Kapteyn Institute say during the Exoplanets show. They discuss their research and image some of the most extreme examples of exoplanets. I don’t know much about astronomy, but I love taking a look at space.
Because I used to do ballet, I am always on the lookout for dance performances in Groningen. They remind me of my youth. This could be a gem: We, the Eyes revolves around intuitive dance in which the survivors of a fire look for ‘real life’ and connect with each other and their instincts. A social issue translated into dance, I wouldn’t say no to that.
I always enjoy performances at Vera, which upholds its reputation as an underground music venue. This concert by the Death Valley Girls is another good example of that. I have to admit that I wasn’t familiar with the genre – they promise ‘scrappy spaced-out psych rock and proto-punk’ – but I’m definitely open to it.
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