School and Folk Festival Goor

Lots of Goor residents are involved in the Goor School and Folk Festival; Muziekvereniging Apollo; participants in the Grand Parade on Sunday; all primary school children; volunteers; Goor seniors; Goor marching bands; one or two professional bands; fairground operators; and the theatre group for the children's performance.

The special team of volunteers helps with setting up and dismantling the Festival Marquee and its inventory (about 20 people). In addition, many volunteers "run" one or more shifts selling refreshments and tokens (approx. 900 people).

Audience from Goor and surroundings (approx. 10,000); companies; the municipality of Hof van Twente; Hofstreek Omroep; Stichting Franje; EHBO.

The history of the Goor School and Folk Festival begins in 1875 as an event for schoolchildren only. All school-age children were allowed to participate if they had less than 30 absences from school per year. In 1881, a folk festival is attached to the children's event, which grows into a two-day festival on Saturday and Sunday. In 1897, the School Festival was given a permanent home on the Höfte, a meadow in the centre of Goor. In 1924, an Adult Parade was organised for the first time.

 The Schoolfeest meadow was owned by textile manufacturer Jannink, who donated it to the municipality in 1938. An important condition was attached to this donation: the meadow should remain a place for the School and Folk Festival and for sports, games and music events.

 In 1946, a new element was added: the Elderly People's March. Until 1960, the School and Folk Festival Goor was organised by the local dignitaries. In order not to depend on them and to better guarantee the future of the Schoolfeest, the Stichting Goors School- en Volksfeest was established, which has organised the event ever since.

 Initially, floats for Parade were built at factories and farmers' premises, but this became increasingly difficult in the 1980s. To prevent a lack of building space resulting in fewer procession participants or even no Procession at all, the Foundation bought its own hall at the local business park where parade participants could build from now on.

2022-2025

• Keeping the website and social media up to date by the PR Committee.
• Finish the documentary, as soon as it is possible again.
• Participate in the curriculum for primary schools on heritage through Cultural Basic Education Hof van Twente, in developing and telling about the Schoolfeest.
• Inform new residents about the School and Folk Festival, e.g. by explaining it in civic integration courses.
• Continue to create and maintain archives in our own halls. Find new sources for historical material, e.g. Delpher.
• Maintain good contacts with the municipality (Hofoverleg) and the Veiligheidsregio at various times of the year.
• Continue to emphasise the importance of the open character to competent bodies such as the municipality, police and fire brigade: the event is open to everyone, free of charge (no entrance fee).
• Continue to care for/attend to volunteers by awarding jubilee volunteers and organising a party evening for volunteers.
• Involve young people in the celebration. Give attention to personal growth/strength/development of young people within our organisation by giving them responsibility.
• By working together with other (more experienced volunteers), skills of young people can be developed, e.g. in new float building groups.
• Remain alert to undesired behaviour, such as alcohol consumption under 18 and smoking in public places like the marquee; use of laughing gas and drugs during events; discriminatory expressions in parades. Actions: house rules clearly visible, wristbands for alcohol sales, camera surveillance and security guards.