Largest Fair on the Rhine
Encyclopedia
The Largest Fair on the Rhine is a fun fair in Düsseldorf
, drawing more than 4 million visitors annually, is one of Germany’s biggest fun fairs. It takes place every third week in July (2009 dates: July 18-26) on the left bank of the Rhine River, in the district Düsseldorf-Oberkassel
, and features beer and food tents, amusement park rides, vendors, etc. as well as 9 days of various associated events and activities.
Only three other German fairs get more visitors than Düsseldorf: Oktoberfest
in Munich
(6.7 million attendees in 2007), the Cranger Kirmes
in Herne
(4.5 million), and the Cannstatter Wasen
in Stuttgart
(4.2 million).
The celebration of both events took place first in 1435. At the time it was organized by the local St. Sebastianus shooting club around a traditional shooting competition (called Schützenfest – marksmen festival), a local annual tradition involving a wooden target on a pole, usually a representation of an eagle. In the 16th century, the fair was said to be an occasion for King Henry VIII” to introduce his future wife Anna van Kleve to the public.
In 1910, the fair was moved to its present location, the fairgrounds on the left Rhine river bank in Düsseldorf’s district Oberkassel overlooking the city’s historic Old Town. Since then, the format and focus of the fair have changed significantly into the more secular and entertainment-oriented event it is today. Attendee numbers rose dramatically, and the event was stretched into 9 days. The name of the event developed in the 1970 simply into “Largest Fair on the Rhine” and has stuck since then. It is not only Germany’s fourth-largest fair but also one of the most important events for Düsseldorf’s economy.
1:00 pm: Opening ceremony by Düsseldorf’s mayor followed by an evening drumbeat in front of Düsseldorf City Hall.
Morning mass in Old Town’s St Lambertus Church. At 4:00 pm, 3000 members of St. Sebastianus shooting club (called Marksmen’s Club) march through the city’s old town. In the evening, the club’s young members engage in a junior shooting competition on the fairgrounds.
Inauguration of the winner of the previous day’s junior competition as “king” for the year on the balcony of City Hall.
Another tradition developed strongly over the past 20 year: Pink Monday, now a gathering of 50,000 gays and lesbians on the fairgrounds, making Pink Monday the largest event in Düsseldorf for the gay and lesbian community.
7:00 pm: Senior shooting competition on the fairgrounds
Evening mass at St. Lambertus Church in Old Town, followed by a procession featuring the Appolinaris Shrine containing the patron saints’ remains.
Crowing of Tuesday’s winner of the senior competition, the marksmens’ “king”.
10:00 pm: fireworks on the Rhine.
2008 saw a modification of the traditional sequence of events in an effort to improve the fair: For the first time and as a trial run, the Marksmen’s Parade took place on Saturday, not Sunday, to coincide with the opening of the amusement park portion of the fair. The parade started at the fairgrounds and ended in Old Town.
Düsseldorf
Düsseldorf is the capital city of the German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and centre of the Rhine-Ruhr metropolitan region.Düsseldorf is an important international business and financial centre and renowned for its fashion and trade fairs. Located centrally within the European Megalopolis, the...
, drawing more than 4 million visitors annually, is one of Germany’s biggest fun fairs. It takes place every third week in July (2009 dates: July 18-26) on the left bank of the Rhine River, in the district Düsseldorf-Oberkassel
Düsseldorf-Oberkassel
Oberkassel is a quartier of Düsseldorf, with a population of about 17,000 inhabitants. Oberkassel lies on the left side of the river Rhine, the opposite side of the central district of Düsseldorf....
, and features beer and food tents, amusement park rides, vendors, etc. as well as 9 days of various associated events and activities.
Only three other German fairs get more visitors than Düsseldorf: Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest
Oktoberfest, or Wiesn, is a 16–18 day beer festival held annually in Munich, Bavaria, Germany, running from late September to the first weekend in October. It is one of the most famous events in Germany and is the world's largest fair, with more than 5 million people attending every year. The...
in Munich
Munich
Munich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(6.7 million attendees in 2007), the Cranger Kirmes
Cranger Kirmes
The Cranger Kirmes is a fair in Germany, located in Wanne-Eickel in the city of Herne. It is the biggest fair in the whole state of Northrhine-Westphalia and the second biggest fair in Germany, only behind the Oktoberfest. In 2008 there were 4.7 million visitors...
in Herne
Herne, Germany
Herne is a city in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. It is located in the Ruhr area directly between the cities of Bochum and Gelsenkirchen.- History :Like most other cities in the region Herne was a tiny village until the 19th century...
(4.5 million), and the Cannstatter Wasen
Cannstatter Wasen
The Cannstatter Wasen is a 35 hectare festival area on the banks of the Neckar river in the part of Stuttgart known as Bad Cannstatt.The Cannstatter Wasen form part of the Neckar Park Fairground....
in Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
(4.2 million).
History
The Largest Fair on the Rhine has its roots in an annual celebration in honor of:- The city’s patron saint Apollinaris of Ravenna
- The sanctification of the “Basilika St. Lambertus”, the main catholic church in Düsseldorf’s Old Town (Altstadt).
The celebration of both events took place first in 1435. At the time it was organized by the local St. Sebastianus shooting club around a traditional shooting competition (called Schützenfest – marksmen festival), a local annual tradition involving a wooden target on a pole, usually a representation of an eagle. In the 16th century, the fair was said to be an occasion for King Henry VIII” to introduce his future wife Anna van Kleve to the public.
In 1910, the fair was moved to its present location, the fairgrounds on the left Rhine river bank in Düsseldorf’s district Oberkassel overlooking the city’s historic Old Town. Since then, the format and focus of the fair have changed significantly into the more secular and entertainment-oriented event it is today. Attendee numbers rose dramatically, and the event was stretched into 9 days. The name of the event developed in the 1970 simply into “Largest Fair on the Rhine” and has stuck since then. It is not only Germany’s fourth-largest fair but also one of the most important events for Düsseldorf’s economy.
Program
The fair incorporates a number of events in a fixed sequence that reflects the historic format. Highlights include:- Saturday
1:00 pm: Opening ceremony by Düsseldorf’s mayor followed by an evening drumbeat in front of Düsseldorf City Hall.
- Sunday
Morning mass in Old Town’s St Lambertus Church. At 4:00 pm, 3000 members of St. Sebastianus shooting club (called Marksmen’s Club) march through the city’s old town. In the evening, the club’s young members engage in a junior shooting competition on the fairgrounds.
- Monday
Inauguration of the winner of the previous day’s junior competition as “king” for the year on the balcony of City Hall.
Another tradition developed strongly over the past 20 year: Pink Monday, now a gathering of 50,000 gays and lesbians on the fairgrounds, making Pink Monday the largest event in Düsseldorf for the gay and lesbian community.
- Tuesday
7:00 pm: Senior shooting competition on the fairgrounds
- Thursday
Evening mass at St. Lambertus Church in Old Town, followed by a procession featuring the Appolinaris Shrine containing the patron saints’ remains.
- Friday
Crowing of Tuesday’s winner of the senior competition, the marksmens’ “king”.
10:00 pm: fireworks on the Rhine.
2008 saw a modification of the traditional sequence of events in an effort to improve the fair: For the first time and as a trial run, the Marksmen’s Parade took place on Saturday, not Sunday, to coincide with the opening of the amusement park portion of the fair. The parade started at the fairgrounds and ended in Old Town.