Dutch fans put on massive party through downtown Kansas City with Orange Walk

The wave that hit downtown Kansas City on Thursday wasn’t like what the city has seen before, even in enormous parades for Chiefs’ Super Bowl or Royals’ World Series victories.

The Orange Walk put on by devotees of the Netherlands national team — and more than a few locals joining in for fun — was a party from start to finish, and everyone was involved.

At 9 a.m. or even earlier, fans gathered in Power & Light, clad in orange shirts, face paint, wigs and more.

Pre-show festivities kicked off the event with DJs playing hits from their homeland and classic party anthems from the United States. Flags with the Dutch team’s logo waved through the air inside the party venue. Lines to get into the block wrapped around the district and hundreds were are on the outside looking in.

Two famous Orange Buses were in town to lead the parade down Grand Boulevard. One led the way, and the other joined partway through to guide the massive crowd to its destination, the FIFA Fan Festival on the grounds of the National World War I Museum and Memorial.

The Orange Walk

In some ways, the parade was like the giant processions that have traversed the whole of downtown after the Chiefs’ various Super Bowl wins. But in other respects, it was a whole different ballgame. Fans moved along with the parade, as much joining the main event as witnessing it.

“This is much better than the Chiefs parade,“ Kansas City native Brian Johnson said. “We love the Chiefs here, but listen to how passionate they are.

“The Chiefs do it for a city. This is a whole country.”

And it wasn’t just your average fan joining in. On and around the second Orange Bus, you could spot actor David Koechner, Current owners Chris and Angie Longs, and Mayor Quinton Lucas. Dutch personality “Orange Suit Man” and superfan Queen of Cheese also made an appearance, to the crowd’s delight. Lucas partied with the DJs at the top of the bus as the tunes were cranked.

Everyone in attendance mixed and mingled together, though. One fan, Kalyn Ahrens, brought a ball for others in the crowd to sign, including Lucas.

This was Gerben Everaard’s first Orange Walk and first time in Kansas City, and he said it was a “perfect” march to show support for his country and the soccer team.

Now living in Portland, Maine, he said he thought there were “more Americans over here in orange than there is Dutch people, so thank you very much, guys, it’s awesome.”

“It’s just having fun, everybody laughing, and nobody gets mad. You bump into each other, it’s all fun and good,” Everaard said.

‘Made the streets move up and down’

Of course, there were many stops along the route for dances, especially the Dutch’s famous jumps to “Links Rechts” by Snollebollekes.

Pausing on an overpass near 20th Street, the dancing got so fierce, one fan was heard to comment: “You actually made the streets move up and down a little bit.”

The massive crowd made its way down Grand surrounded by city-owned vehicles on either side, including orange-painted snow plows, police cars, police motorcycles, fire trucks and ambulances, which blocked personal vehicles from crossing the road.

“I don’t know nothing about soccer, but it looks fun. But I’m here for the spirit, I’m here to support,“ Kansas Citian Mark Nolen said, standing outside of his 1982 Corvette, which was fittingly orange.

The end destination was intended to be the Fan Festival, but the crowd stopped for more than 15 minutes at the intersections of Grand and Pershing Road to continue the party, throwing around inflatable balls, dancing and more.

Eventually the crowd dissipated, some to head to Arrowhead for the game itself, others to Fan Festival and still others to watch parties across the metro.

This story was originally published June 25, 2026 at 1:05 PM.