From the 22nd to the 24th of September, wine aficionados and others can join the annual Wijn Festival (Wine Festival) held at the Akerk. The seventh edition of the largest wine festival in the North of the country is a chance for people to try all types of wines with a nice bite to accompany them.
“It gives people the opportunity to taste something surprising, something they didn’t know existed,” Marjanne Vos told The Northern Times. Vos is one of the three main organizers of the event and has been in this role since 2021.
With 20 stands and more than 250 unique wines to choose from, the Wijn Festival stands out as one of the marquee festivities of Groningen every year. For the first time ever, live music will be played throughout the weekend-long event to make it feel more like a festival.
“Every year, we do these little things to tweak it a bit. It’s just a different festival than last year,” said Vos. “We also have different stands than last year.”
Some of these stands include Groningen’s own Beans & Grapes, De Kaaskop, and Wijnkoperij Henri Bloem Groningen but the festival’s popularity has seen participants from all over the Netherlands coming to take part, with stands from Amsterdam and Utrecht making the drive up north.
The Wijn Festival expects around 1,500 throughout the weekend in what has now become a staple of Groningen’s diverse festival lineup. Although purchasing bottles from the stands is not allowed, customers can order them directly from the stand to their homes so they can always remember which one of the many options was their favorite.
A wine festival in a church?
Perhaps it is surprising to hear that a former Catholic and then Protestant church, the Akerk, is hosting a wine festival. Every year, the organizers sit with the Akerk to discuss the festival, which the church has enjoyed adding to its portfolio among the many art exhibitions and other events they host every year.
“It is the perfect location. It has a special ambiance,” said Vos. “It’s wonderful to walk around with your glass of wine, enjoying the view of the church which is also perfectly lit with purple lights. I can’t imagine a better location.”
The Akerk has hosted the Wijn Festival since its first edition in 2016 and is almost guaranteed to continue being the place to be for those who enjoy trying all different sorts of wines.
“We have never tried to find another location,” admitted Vos.
Tickets are still available
If the promise of many diverse wines, foods, and live music has prompted your interest, you are in luck.
Tickets are still available and can even be purchased at the door. You can buy your ticket by clicking here. You can also find more information on the festival itself by visiting their official website.
