Roldermarkt
Rolde's annual fair, on the second Tuesday of September, with a festival week around it. It was once a livestock market; the horse market is still part of it.
The OVVR association organises the Roldermarkt on behalf of the Boermarke Rolde-Nijlande-Eldersloo, the traditional village association, and turns it into a whole festival week: from the opening on Thursday evening up to and including market Tuesday. Each year the week has its own theme.
From livestock market to festival week
The Roldermarkt began as a livestock market. According to the OVVR, cows, pigs, sheep, chickens and horses were traded here from 1785. Changes in farming and in laws and regulations meant that the livestock trade largely disappeared. The horse market remained, and over the years it was joined by a general market, an agricultural fair and other activities.
According to the OVVR, the Roldermarkt is one of the three traditional horse markets that Drenthe still has. Since 2026 the horse market has been held on the Sunday of the festival week, so that more people can bring or buy horses, ponies and donkeys.
The festival week
The programme varies from year to year, but some parts come back every time. On Friday there are sports activities, such as the fun run and the multi-sport contest, with a disco in the evening. Saturday brings a Fjord horse show and the Dikke Bandenrace, a bike race for children, and in the evening the parade of local businesses through the village, the tattoo and a party night. Sunday starts with the Roldermarkt breakfast, followed by an equestrian competition, a children's market and in the evening the lip-sync show.
On market Tuesday itself there are the farming and garden fair, the market with stalls, horse shows and clinics, a multi-sport contest for children and a party afternoon with music. There is also a funfair during the festival week.
The programme for the coming year is on ovvr.nl.
