A Festive December in Apeldoorn and Surrounding Areas Christmas Markets, Lights and More
Experience the Magic of December in Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn and its neighbouring towns are offering a full programme of festive events in December 2025. From Christmas markets and handmade gift fairs to illuminated palaces, light festivals and New Year celebrations, residents and visitors have plenty of options to get into the holiday spirit.
Station Royaal Handmade Gift Market
Date: 6 December
Time: 11:00–17:00
Location: Station Royaal, Apeldoorn
Station Royaal will host a market featuring exclusive, handmade gifts. Artisans include Dot-art Delft, MoMo-Creations, the Yourright Foundation and Bettine, who repurposes cutlery into jewellery. Festive wines will also be available. Visitors can enjoy lunch or coffee while browsing unique gifts. Admission is free.
Vaassen Christmas Market at Cannenburch Castle
Dates: 12–14 December
Times: 12 December 13:00–21:30, 13 December 11:00–21:30, 14 December 11:00–17:00
Location: Cannenburch Castle
The thirty-sixth edition of the Vaassen Christmas Market will take over the forecourt of Cannenburch Castle. Stalls will offer seasonal gifts, decorations and treats. Choirs and bands will perform, and street theatre, including Christmas angels on stilts, adds to the festive atmosphere.
The castle itself can only be visited with a combined ticket. Market entry alone costs €4, with children under twelve admitted free. Advance online booking is recommended.
Dickens Festival
Dates: 13–14 December
Location: Deventer, Bergkwartier District
The 33rd Dickens Festival brings 19th-century English life to Deventer with over 950 characters from Charles Dickens’s novels. Visitors will encounter Scrooge, Oliver Twist, Mr Pickwick, Christmas carol singers, orphans, office clerks and posh folk across the historic Bergkwartier district. The festival attracts thousands of visitors from the Netherlands and abroad.
Admission is €6, payable at the ticket office at the start of the queue. Children aged 7 and under enter free. Expect potential queues due to the festival’s popularity.
Cut Your Own Christmas Tree
Dates: 13–14 December
Time: 10:00–16:00
Location: De Hoge Veluwe National Park
Visitors can select and cut one Scots pine per person free of charge, helping maintain the park’s unique drifting sand landscape. Participants must book a free time slot and collect a voucher at Marchantplein before proceeding to the felling site. Only the park entrance fee applies.
XXL Record Fair
Date: 14 December
Time: 10:00–17:00
Location: Matenpark Sports Hall, Apeldoorn
Music enthusiasts can browse over 100,000 CDs and LPs from more than 80 record dealers. The fair offers rare and affordable finds across a wide range of genres, celebrating the resurgence of vinyl.
The illuminated Hunting Lodge
Dates: 9–18 December
Time: Tuesday–Thursday 16:30–17:30
Location: De Hoge Veluwe National Park
During the dark days around Christmas, the lodge’s interior and exterior are illuminated. Completed in 1920 for the Kröller-Müller family, Jachthuis Sint Hubertus features advanced technological innovations for its time, including central heating, a central clock system, a central vacuum system, an elevator and electric lighting.
Binky’s Light Festival
Dates: 22, 23, 27, 28, 29 December
Time: 17:30–20:30
Location: Binky Play Farm
Binky’s Light Festival returns with thousands of twinkling lights, festive decorations, hot drinks and treats around the campfire. Santa and Mrs Claus appear on 22 and 23 December, while Binky and Olaf are present every evening for photos.
A festive Christmas market will run on 22 and 23 December from 13:00, featuring snacks, gifts and crafts. Tickets are €4.50 per person, €3.50 for season ticket holders.
Paleis Het Loo – Winter Illuminations
Dates: 28 November–4 January
Location: Paleis Het Loo
Paleis Het Loo is decorated with illuminated Christmas trees and seasonal decorations. Visitors can enjoy the stables square with mulled wine or hot chocolate and explore palace rooms decorated in 19th- and 20th-century Christmas style. Tickets should be booked online in advance.
Winter Circus Apeldoorn
Dates: 21–28 December
Location: Parking lot of De Voorwaarts, Apeldoorn
Horwood Productions presents the Winter Circus with twelve international artists performing acrobatics, comedy and theatrical acts. The heated circus tent provides a cosy winter atmosphere suitable for all ages.
Apeldoorn Counts Down – New Year Celebration
Date: 31 December
Time: 20:00–01:00
Location: Zwitsal Grounds, Apeldoorn
Apeldoorn’s free New Year celebration includes live performances, DJs and two spectacular firework displays. Acts include DJ Jeronimo, Hansen Tomas, Kris Kross Amsterdam and The Partysquad.
Child-friendly Countdown at Zuiderpark: 19:00–21:00, free admission, with music and fireworks suitable for younger visitors.
WUP 01/12/2025
by Erene Roux
©WUAS Press
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