City Central

✅ You can sign up for these events via the Connect Calendar here: https://www.connect-int.org/connecting-worlds/

There may be some small differences in the actual date and time of some events from what is shown in the post, you can double check all information on our website!

We will soon stop posting on this account so be sure to follow International Welcome Center North - IWCN to keep up with our events and other content!

Food:

☕Coffee Morning
Groningen Friday @ 10:30AM

☕Parents Coffee Morning
Groningen Thursday @ 10:00AM

Language:
🇬🇧English Conversation Fun A1/A2
-Groningen Wednesday @ 17:20PM

🇳🇱Dutch Conversation Fun
-Groningen Every Wednesday @ 14:00PM and 15:00PM

Sport:
🏃‍♂️ Running Club
-Leeuwarden Every Sunday @ 10:30AM

🚶‍♂️Walking Clubs:
-Groningen every Sunday @ 14:00PM
-Leeuwarden Every Tuesday @ 19:30PM

🧘‍♀️Yoga Afternoons with Payam
Online every Friday @18:00PM

💵Price: All connect events are free for members
-Non-members can attend their first Connect event for free to see if they'd like to become a member.

NEW HOME 🙌

Happy New Year! 2023 is off to an exciting start.
​
We’ve been working toward this moment behind the scenes for a long time, and now we’re
very pleased to introduce our new, joint social media account: International Welcome Center North - IWCN

Since 2021, City Central, Connect International and International Welcome Center North
having been working very hard behind the scenes to become a single organization. Together,
all three of us share the same cause: serving as the only one-stop-shop for helping
internationals feel at home in the north.

This change means that in the coming months, we will be gradually transitioning away from
posting to this page. So if you want to stay up to date on all our updates and ensure you
don’t miss any of the great events we’re planning, make sure to go ahead and start following
us at .nl

There will be some changes coming to our websites, too! You can find out about and register
for upcoming City Central events, such as FietsFriend, Welcome Walks and art tours, as well
as Connect’s many activities across the north, via connect-int.org. You can also become a
member (with a special student discount available) through the Connect site. And you’ll be
able to find more of City Central and Connect’s services and information at IWCN.nl.

No matter what changes, our commitment to our members, volunteers and online
community remains the same. We’re here to provide international residents with all of the
guidance, social connections, and support they want and deserve to feel truly at home in
this special region of the Netherlands!

International Welcome Center North - IWCN IWCN is a one-stop-shop for international communities in Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe.

✅ You can sign up for these events via the Connect calendar here: https://www.connect-int.org/connecting-worlds/

There may be some small differences in the actual date and time of some events from what is shown in the post, you can double check all information on our website!

Food:
Coffee Afternoon
-Leeuwarden Friday @ 13:00PM
-Groningen Friday @ 10:30AM

Language:
🇬🇧English Conversation Fun A1/A2
-Groningen Wednesday @ 17:20PM

🇳🇱Dutch Conversation Fun
-Online Every Thursday @ 10:00AM
-Groningen Every Wednesday @ 14:00PM and 15:00PM

Sport:
🏃‍♂️ Running Club
-Leeuwarden Every Sunday @ 10:30AM

🚶‍♂️Walking Clubs:
-Groningen every Sunday @ 14:00PM
-Leeuwarden Every Tuesday @ 19:30PM

🧘‍♀️Yoga Afternoons with Payam
Online every Friday @18:00PM

💵Price: All connect events are free for members
-Non-members can attend their first Connect event for free to see if they'd like to become a member.

Weekend tip: WinterWelVaart ⛵

After two years of scaled back festivities, WinterWelVaart is back in its full gezellig glory this weekend!

The handsome wooden ships along the quay of the A will be decked out for the holidays, the outline of their sails illuminated by sturdy strands of Christmas lights, and the boats themselves will play host to small-scale cultural events and performances Friday, Saturday and Sunday (16 – 18) December.

Strolling along the cobblestone streets can make you feel like you’re in a painting that has come to life. And with the canals icing over, this year’s edition will be especially magical. Some of Groningen’s most beautiful streets will be filled with cosy market stands, selling ornaments, handmade crafts, warm beverages and hearty snacks.

From 17:00 onward each evening, the sweet sounds of holiday tunes will be wafting from the decks of the ships with live musical performances, and many of the boats will be open to the public for a peek at what it’s like to live on the water. Some of the ships will have programmes starting earlier in the afternoon, but of course WinterWelVaart is at its most charming by night (so from 16:00 onward on these dark winter days).

The Akerk and the Museum aan de A will also be the stage for theatre, music, poetry, lectures and workshops inspired by the theme “proud of the Groninger A”. At the Akerk, 15 euros will buy you a ticket for an moody evening tour of the iconic church and music by local singer/songwriters.

This year marks the 15th edition of the beloved Groningen holiday tradition, and this December, the story of the A quarter itself will be the inspiration for the festivities. The Hoge der A, Lage der A and even the Kleine der A will all form the grounds for this extremely photogenic holiday outing.

Weekend Tip: China Lights Emmen Festival

This concept of this festival was inspired by lantern festivals usually held on Chinese New Year. This year’s theme is “World Travel” 🌏. Explore the famous wonders of the world in beautiful lantern forms, which were artfully decorated and built meters high.

China Lights Emmen Festival
Rensenpark (Hoofdstraat 18, 7811 EP Emmen)
9th of December 2022 - 5th of March 2023
chinalightsemmen.nl

Ticket price:
Adults: €17.50
Children (4-12 years old): €12.50

Feeling boujee and want to make it a full weekend getaway? Fletcher Hotel Emmen offers a full package consisting of 1 festival ticket, 1-night hotel stay, breakfast and 3 course dinner. Price starts from €99 p.p.

The venue is easily reachable by public transportation and there is a parking spot nearby.
For latest public transportation schedule, visit 9292.nl.

📸: ,

What does Teodora want to share with you?

We want to thank Teodora so much for her takeover yesterday! Be sure to follow her at .nedyalkova.cellist and to follow her musical adventure!

Before she signs out, we asked her to answer one more question before she signs out: What does she want to share with (international) people living in Northern Netherlands (Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe)?

"The city of Groningen is a city of talent! International, innovative, sparkling with new adventures! I love that about it!

As a classical musician, my main goal is to share music - old and new - in a more attractive way for the younger generations and to create unforgettable and unique experiences for established listeners. My mission is to bring the beauty of music closer to the audience by actively developing new formats of presenting and experiencing it.

Together with my colleagues from the Kamerorkest van het Noorden we are designing multidisciplinary performances, where music, dance, literature, DJ, VJ, lights, contemporary and known music are coming together and are delivered as not just a concert but as a multi-sensorial experience. Join me! Experience it!"

Photo: Debora Roffel

Takeover Tuesday: Meet Teodora!

We are sharing our Instagram feed with students and people living in the Northern Netherlands (Groningen, Friesland, and Drenthe).

Teodora is saying hi! 👋🏼:

"Hi everyone! My name is Teodora Nedyalkova and I am a professional classical musician, born and raised in Bulgaria, but based in the Netherlands (Groningen).

I am an experienced, professional cellist with a demonstrated history of working in the classical music industry. I am skilled in performing, collaborating, pedagogy, and entrepreneurship and with a distinctive passion for music-making and creativity.

My cello and love for music brought me to countless stages around the world but today I am very happy to have the chance to share a little of my life on a different stage- the one of the City Central.

If you are curious to know what the days of a classical musician looks like- have a look! It will be different and ...dynamic!"

Be sure to follow her takeover today!

Weekend Tip: De Ontmaskerde Macht Exhibition at Akerk

Seven years after the attack on the office of the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo in Paris, freedom of speech around the world has come under further pressure. Political cartoonists constantly keep searching for the right balance between sharp criticism and liberating humor. Despite this 'balancing act' and the sometimes far-reaching consequences for making critical cartoons, cartoonists all over the world continue to show through their work that they cannot be silenced.

Akerk and the twinning organization Stedenband Groningen-San Carlos (Nicaragua) are now giving a stage to various international cartoonists, emphasizing the importance of free press and freedom of speech. The exhibition was developed by Stedenband Haarlem-Mutare in collaboration with ‘Stripdagen Haarlem’ 2022.

The exhibition shows cartoons of:

Vladimir Kazanevsky - Ukraine
Hossein Rezaei - Afghanistan
Pedro X Molina - Nicaragua
Jonathan Shapiro (Zapiro) - South-Africa
Oleksiy Kustovsky - Ukraine
Homa Eskandari - Iran/Nederland
Anne Derenne - France
Ramón Esono Ebalé - Equatorial Guinea
Doaa Eladl - Egypt
Marian Kamensky - Austria
Kursat Zaman - Turkey
Galym Boranbayev - Kazakhstan
Ghost Arasanta - Indonesia
Zach - Phillipines
Sapin Makengele - Congo/Nederland

nl

Weekend tip: Stadspark Nightrun 🏃‍♀️🌙

Fancy a run through the Stadspark – by night? Sign up for the Stadspark Nightrun on 19 November!

It’s a run, but it’s not a marathon, and it’s not at the crack of dawn: the Stadspark Run is intended to be the ideal mix of fitness and fun, after dark.

The run will trace several routes through the lovely, dark and deep woods of the Stadspark in Groningen.

It’s not a competition and there will be no time keeping: at the Stadspark Night Run, it’s all about having a good time. There will be music, entertainment and plenty of time to stop along the way for a little dance break or a sweaty selfie, and after crossing the finish line, there’s also the after party to look forward to.

Whether you’re a beginner or an experience runner, everyone is welcome! You can choose between two distances: 6 kilometers, or 10 kilometers. And you don’t have to make your choice in advance, because you can just choose during the run itself just how far you want to go.

Tickets are 26.50, and include (among other things) a special head lamp to use during the event and to keep as a memento. You can sign up as an individual, or with a group – the more the merrier!

Weekend tip: Diwali in Leeuwarden 🪔

The Indian community of the Frisian capital city, Leeuwarden, is once again hosting a Diwali feast, and everyone is welcome to join the festivities!

Diwali is the Festival of Lights, and the holiday is celebrated each year in the autumn between October and November (the date changes every year, and is based on the Hindu lunisolar calendar).

Similar to other equinox celebrations around the globe, Diwali symbolises the triumph of light over darkness: light as in goodness, and light as in enlightenment.

In Leeuwarden, on 12 November, Diwali will be celebrated with an evening of fun and – of course – food. Tickets are 20 euros, and there will be welcoming drinks, puja (a Hindu worship ritual), and a dinner, accompanied by a cultural programme and activities at the Stichting Cultureel Centrum Mahatma Gandhi (Oldegalileën 129 in Leeuwarden). You can find the link to sign

What does Beppie want to share with you?

We want to thank Beppie so much for her takeover yesterday! Be sure to follow her at and to follow her (and her colleagues') forest-ranging adventure. 🌳🌲🍄

Before she signs out, we asked her to answer one more question before she signs out: What does she want to share with people living in Groningen?

"Look, smell, feel and hear very good when You are in nature, to fully experience it. Let yourself be surprised by what nature can bring to you.

Not only in the city, but also in the rest of the province Groningen!"