One of the most admirable maritime manifestation sailing event SAIL is going to be held in Amsterdam on and around the Eastern Dockland at IJ river from 19th to 23rd August. The theme of this 8th edition Sail 2010 is ‘A nautical encounter between the past, present and future’. It is a worth visiting event for boat enthusiast, water sports adherent and passionate people. An impressive and incomparable fleet can be viewed in the vibrant exhibition of historic ships and nautical heritage. Besides this cultural and sports activities including music, entertainment, art for young as well as old will also be organized everyday. Most of the activities at SAIL 2010 are free of cost for the visitors.

This biggest celebration on water takes place in every 5 years. Earlier it was held in 2005. The exhilarating highlights are the visual fleet of tall ships, classic ships, variety of striking modern yacht, modern ships, sailing heritage craft, impressive replicas and naval vessels that are on display here. A number of private boats are also there to join the sail in the harbour. Tall ships accompanied by a number of historic sailing boats and motorboats is a not to miss panorama. This is a five days long event and ships arrive from all around the globe as U.K., Russia, Poland, Scandinavia, Romania, Ukraine, Germany, Italy and other countries to participate in one of the largest maritime festival in the world. Closing ceremony will take place daily with breath taking fireworks on water which is truly a fabulous view. To make this grand festival a memorable one preparations are in full swing.

This weekend will probably be the busiest weekend in Amsterdam as one of the most entertaining and fun events of Amsterdam ‘Gay Pride’ is going to be organized from 5 till 8 August. During this period the city will indulge itself in many of the cultural as well as sportive events. The real spectacular event is the world’s only Gay Canal Parade which is held in Amsterdam. This Canals Parade is the exciting affair with more than 50 boats floating through the canals of the city ‘Amsterdam’. Besides that the street parties with international DJ, artists and club circuit parties at every corner is another attraction. The main parties and gay events usually takes place in the center of Amsterdam. The beginning of the Amsterdam Gay Pride will be celebrated on a grand level at a new gay bar ‘Taboo’. In this years majestic celebration the Exit Club and the Exit Café will also be re-open from 30 July till 8 August while the April bar will be able to re –open from 5 August till Sunday. The closure of these three bars took place due to some legal conflict about rent payments. The closing party will take place on 8 August late in the afternoon. Many of the gay parties will be hosted by the city this year. The city will also enjoy cruising and masterbeats to series of circuit parties in this weekend.

With time the garden is also updating itself. In 2010 the experience of Audio- visual Keukenhof Discovery tour is the main attraction that welcomes the visitors of every age group. The incredible package of discovery tour can be hired near the Keukenhof entrance. It includes photos, videos, sound recording and interviews. Further in addition to about seven million blooming bulbs it also showcases other countless floral eminence. Apart from this the Rijksmuseum and the Keukenhof also offers a special Tulip tour. This tour starts with the view of ‘The Nightwatch and The Milkmaid’ as well as the presentation of current Tulips in Amsterdam followed by Keukenhof Tulip fields visit on the Tulip bus.

 Originally it’s the Birthday of Queen Juliana , the mother of Queen Beatrix, and 31^st January is the date of  Queen Beatrix’s birthday. To pay a tribute to her mother and also the winter time in January is not suitable for the outside party so Queen celebrates her birthday on 30^th April. There is the chance to get a glimpse of present Queen Beatrrix. This is a vital event for the Netherlands nation and thus have been declared as a Public holiday. The craze and extent of  madness of the people knows no limit and the city gets alive this day every year. Brace yourself in people flock to the city as this is Crazy Dutch tradition that should never be missed.

In its ingenious store this time it comprise about 50 feature and 25 shorts, the mind-boggling kids festival, master classes, theme programme and many more. Old trended goose bangs could also be felt during the Night of Terror. The theme of the event has been assembled into two – Eastern Europe and retro-magic that includes any film in genere but the style that refers to the past decades.

Amsterdam is trying hard to lure its gay tourists as according to the Amsterdam Tourist Board, gay visitors spend an average of €160 a day — thirty percent more than heterosexual visitors. Hosting these games would not only mean more gay visitors to the city but would also prove that the city has the ability to host such a large event, thus proving the city’s candidacy for the Olympic Games in 2028.

Alderman Carolien Gehrels (sports) is talking with gay sports organizations, as well as with the organizer of the World Outgames, an alternative Gay Games taking place in Antwerp in 2013.

“Antwerp is running into all kind of organizational problems, and we want to learn from that,” Gehrels says in Dutch daily Het Parool.

For the official competition in the ‘First Appearance’ section at this International Documentary Film Festival, Fastnet Films’ feature documentary ‘Colony’, the directorial debut of Ross McDonnell and Carter Gunn, produced by Morgan Bushe and Macdara Kelleher of Fastnet Films, has being selected.

Producer Morgan Bushe, who is obviously elated at this, says, “The IDFA is one of the most respected and well regarded documentary film festivals and we would have been honoured to just screen our film there, but to have also been selected for official competition, to be one of only fifteen other films picked from across the world, is very special. After having such a positive series of screenings at the Toronto Film Festival in September, we couldn’t have picked a better stage for our European premiere.”

The film, which the New York Times describes as a ‘satisfying addition to the blooming, buzzing field of social issue documentary’ and which Variety describes as the ‘most aesthetically beautiful documentary of the season, as well as one of the most urgent and intelligent’ was made through funding by the Irish Film Board.

Travel options are many ranging from the canals which criss-cross the city to scenic urban pathways for walking or biking. As about 40 per cent of Amsterdam traffic is on two wheels, biking makes you feel like a true local and helps you explore various gardens and places to visit which are hidden and would otherwise require guidance or tips to find.

Some gardens, tucked away in courtyards or behind stately apartments, are open to the public any time, while others open on a special day of the year. The Rijksmuseum, with its Rembrandts and Vermeers, costs 11 euro ($A18.86) entry, but its garden is open year-round for free.

The Begijnhof is a grassy courtyard surrounded by 14th century cottages. Nearby is a small chapel which often stages musical recitals. Near the Begijnhof is a covered passageway known as the Civics Guard Gallery, with 15 huge group portraits – from the same time as Rembrandt’s Night Watch – of leading citizens from the Dutch Golden Age.

The city also has some lesser known sections which are worth visitng anyway. One is the Nine Lanes, lined with tiny specialty establishments like the handmade soap shop, the spectacles museum and a store dedicated to toothbrushes. The Jordaan, once the working class district, has been revived with boutiques, tapas bars and ethnic restaurants.

The city’s 26 open-air markets offer knick-knacks, antiques, farmers’ produce, artworks, clothing and just about anything else you can think of. The largest and most popular with Dutch food shoppers is the Albert Cuyp Market, where everything is fresh and cheap.

On the southern side of the city is the 2500-acre Amsterdam forest, the city’s largest park with more than 50 kms of bike paths. It is onlt through bikes that one can get a taste of the town’s pastureland, windmills and more canals.

Tourists can rent a bike for about 10 euro ($A17.15) a day, with special weekly rates. Also available are tandems for two, cargo bikes for hauling groceries or toddlers, and bikes with child seats.