It's Carnival season, and if you can't make it down south for some of the larger festivities, you can always go to Tivoli Oudegracht in Utrecht this Saturday, 5 March, for Alternative Carnival. There's more to the evening than just the usual Carnival songs; there will also be balkanbeats, gypsy music and polka; the perfect accompaniment for meter-long beers. A Prince of Carnival will also be elected; where else can you elect royalty? And if you raid your closets, thrift stores or Marktplaats for some funky farmerwear, you can even gain free admittance.

If you don't feel like dressing up, tickets are only €4 and are available through the Tivoli website. The festival starts at 23:00.