It is April in the Netherlands. That time of year when just as spring seems to be finally arriving, nature throws you a curveball in the form of night-time temperatures that are below zero. Luckily, the events calendar for the month more than makes up for the confusion. Here are some of the things happening in April:

• Floriade (opens April 5^th) – The flower and nature event that happens only once every ten years in the Netherlands officially opens this month.  66-hectares of five uniquely themed zones, a 30-metre-high cable-car system and more flowers and plants than you can name are all what makes up Floriade.
• National Museum Weekend (April 14^th) – Museums, castles, architectonic highlights, theatres, windmills, historical structures and many more Dutch monuments are waiting for you during National Museum Weekend. During this weekend, you can visit over 500 museums free of charge. Most museums also organize workshops and other activities for this special occasion. Last year the National Museum Weekend attracted a million visitors.
• The Rotterdam Marathon (April 15^th) – Whether you want to be one of the 20.000 runners or one of the 900.000 spectators, you will experience the marathon of Rotterdam as being one big party.
• World Press Photo Exhibition (April 19^th) – Every year, World Press Photo organizes the largest photo contest in the world. Thousands of professional photographers from all over the globe submit their best works. An independent, international jury chooses the best photo out of hundreds of thousands of images and decides which photographers deserve the prestigious World Press Photo Award. Each year, the first World Press Photo exhibition is opened in the ‘Oude Kerk’ (Old Church) in Amsterdam. Be one of the first to marvel at last year’s best pictures. In the months that follow the exhibition travels all over the world and is visited by two million people.
• The Night Before Queen’s Day (April 29^th) – On the eve of Queen’s Day you can celebrate ‘Koninginnenacht’ or Queen’s Night in the streets of The Hague. Dozens of concerts, a grand fair and many parties attract hundreds of thousands of people every year.
• Sand Sculpture Festival Scheveningen (April 29^th)  – The art of sand sculpting is relatively new and was first introduced to the European public in 1991 in Scheveningen. Since then more and more artists have focused on this creative art form. The fourteen sculptures in Scheveningen are designed by international artists.
• Queen’s Day (April 30^th) – On April 30, the whole of Holland colors orange when the Dutch celebrate Queen’s Day. During this national holiday events and celebrations are held throughout the country and Amsterdam transforms into the capital of festivals. You’ll find unregulated  street markets, music and bars on every street corner.

Do you know of something good happening in the Netherlands or Belgium during the month of April? Share it with us in the comments or on the Facebook page.

*some descriptions courtesy of Holland.com