Amsterdam streets close as emergency vehicles bring sick kids on joy ride to Artis
Multiple streets will be closed in Amsterdam this afternoon as a parade of emergency vehicles bring kids to Artis Zoo for the KinderBeestFeest - an annual party for children with a chronic illness, disability, or special care needs.
The KinderBeestFeest has been held annually since 2000. “Artis Zoo opens exclusively for our guests for one evening. All kinds of special activities are organized. But that is not all, because all the children are brought to the party in police cars, fire trucks, rescue brigade vehicles, and ambulances,” mascot Koco and Anke Bos of the KidnerBeestFees told AT5.
The first guests are expected at Artis around 5:15 p.m. By 11:00 p.m., all guests and emergency vehicles will have left the area again.
The streets around Artis will be closed to all traffic, including cyclists, between 4:00 p.m. and 11:00 p.m. This includes Plantage Middenlaan, Plantage Kerklaan, Plantage Doklaan, Plantage Muidergracht (between Roetersstraat and Alexanderplein), and Henri Polaklaan. Tram lines 7 and 14 will operate on an altered route from 4:00 p.m.
Firefighter Maayan has been involved with the KinderBeestFeest for several years and it is one of his favorite evenings of the year. “The children react very enthusiastically. That is really nice. That they forget for a moment all the troubles they are going through, so you basically only see very happy and relaxed faces. This is indescribable, so nice to see,” he told AT5.
