ORANJESTAD – In case you happen to be on vacation in Aruba this coming Saturday you will get the chance to see and feel the love of the Aruban people for their King Willem-Alexander. His birthday will be celebrated and this means that Saturday is a public holiday. There will be festivities all-over the island, flea markets, restaurant specials and for all you will see a lot of the color orange, referring to the color of the Dutch Royal Family, which hails from the House of Orange.
The colors of the official Dutch flag are red, white, and blue. On royal birthdays, the Dutch tricolor is flown with an orange pennant above it. Each year on April 27, Amsterdam — and indeed the entire county — turns orange and because Aruba is part of the Dutch Kingdom, we celebrate along. Aruba is one of the four countries that make up the Kingdom of the Netherlands: The Netherlands, Aruba, Sint Maarten and Curacao.
Willem-Alexander
King Willem-Alexander is the head of state of Aruba and the governor represents the monarch in Aruba. Willem-Alexander was the son of then Princess Beatrix and Prince Claus.
He was first in the line of succession since his mother’s accession to the throne on April 30, 1980, he also bore the title of prince of Orange. Willem-Alexander married Argentine-born Máxima Zorreguieta (thereafter Princess Máxima) in Amsterdam. On April 30, 2013, Beatrix stepped down, and Willem-Alexander was inaugurated as king of the Netherlands. The couple has three daughters:  Catharina-Amalia, Princess of Orange and first in line to the throne, Princess Alexia of the Netherlands, Princess Ariane of the Netherlands.
Let’s Celebrate!
There will be numerous sporting events and family-friendly celebrations coming Saturday. Sports competitions, kite flying contests and fun-filled activities are held at various sites including community centers.
There will be flea markets and various activities for children during the day at the parking lot of supermarket Superfood, in the Mainstreet of Oranjestad at ex-Bon Bini Bazaar building, Restaurant Bingo in Noord and at Casibari Café. The celebration kicks off with the Food Truck Festival Aruba starting at 6 PM till 11 PM on Friday 26th and continuing on Saturday 27th. San Nicolas also has her King’s Day Celebration. The town has local popular games, creative workshops, cultural discovery tours, art market and much more to offer during the full day. This is just a small part of all that is going on this coming Friday and Saturday. Check out the Facebook page Events for more information. Don’t miss these great activities and enjoy your orange fest.
