Beers, tulips and a sunny afternoon at the lake

LocalDutchWays Blog — Noordwijkerhout, Bollenstreek — April 2024

There are places in the bollenstreek that locals know and visitors almost never find. Como & Co at the Comomeer in Noordwijkerhout is one of them. Hidden at the end of a quiet road through the flower fields, tucked against a lake in the dunes, it has the feeling of a place you stumbled upon rather than planned. That feeling is entirely intentional.

Once a year in spring, it becomes the unlikely home of one of the region’s most enjoyable festivals.

Craft beer meets tulip fields

Beers & Tulips is an annual one-day festival organised by Como & Co and de Volière, held each April when the flowers are at their absolute peak. Multiple craft breweries set up alongside the lake, bands and DJs fill the afternoon with music, food trucks take care of the rest, and the whole festival ground is decorated with tulips and hyacinths. Entry is five euros. Children under twelve get in free.

It sounds almost too good to be true for a Saturday afternoon in spring. It is not.

From quiet terrace to full festival

We arrived with our eldest in the bakfiets on a warm and sunny afternoon. Early on, it was relaxed and easy: a drink in the sun, our son splashing at the water’s edge and bouncing on the inflatable castle, a genuine sense of having found something good. Como & Co does this well even on a normal day. The apple pie is famous for a reason.

Then, gradually, the festival came to life. More people arrived, the music got louder, the stands filled up. By the time we finished our chips and headed home on the bakfiets, the festival was in full swing and the grounds were packed. We had timed it perfectly without trying.

For families, for couples, for everyone

This is one of those events that works at any pace. You can arrive at opening, find a quiet spot by the water and spend the afternoon in the sun with a craft beer and a good conversation. Or you can arrive later, when the music is in full swing and the atmosphere has shifted into something closer to a proper festival. Five euros either way.

Children are genuinely welcome rather than merely tolerated. The bouncy castle, the water, the space to run around: it works. And while they are occupied, you can actually enjoy your drink.

A location worth knowing

Como & Co sits on the Comomeer, a lake in the dunes between Noordwijkerhout and the coast. The road there takes you through the flower fields, which in April means cycling past tulips and hyacinths the whole way. The lake, the dunes, the terrace at the water’s edge: it is a genuinely beautiful spot that deserves to be on every visitor’s list.

It is on ours. Como & Co is one of the locations we are working with as part of the LocalDutchWays route network, which means that when you book a route with us, you will end up here.

Practical information

Beers & Tulips takes place annually on a Saturday in April at Como & Co and de Volière at the Comomeer in Noordwijkerhout, from 13:00. Entry is five euros, payable at the door. Children under twelve are free. No advance booking required. Craft beers from multiple breweries, live music, food trucks and a bouncy castle for children. Como & Co itself is open seven days a week for breakfast, lunch and dinner throughout the year.

The festival is within easy cycling distance and sits perfectly on one of the LocalDutchWays routes through the bollenstreek. Worth every pedal.

Want to see more photos? Follow us on Instagram: @localdutchways