Bocholt fair
The Bocholt autumn fair (Low German Bokeltse Kermis ) is a folk festival in Bocholt in the Borken district . It is the largest folk festival in the Lower Rhine and Westmünsterland . It takes place annually on the third weekend in October from Friday to Monday. In contrast to other folk festivals, such as the Send in Münster , the fair is not associated with a flea market or a trade show, but stands on its own as an event .
location
The autumn fair in Bocholt is a so-called inner city fair and extends from Berliner Platz over Bocholter Aa and the Ravardiviertel to the market square and the Gasthausplatz.
Historical
The traditional autumn fair goes back to the construction of the Gothic town church St. Georg . To complete the church in 1455, after the inauguration service, there was a folk festival for those who had traveled from far away. Over time, more and more traders, magicians and fire-eaters came to the annual parish fair , from which the current name Kirmes can be derived. Especially for the rural population, the parish fair was traditionally an excellent opportunity to celebrate, get to know each other and get married. In 1885 the first carousel was built, which was still pulled by a horse. Years later, around 1900, most of the rides were powered by a steam engine. After the Second World War, the tradition was retained, so that the Bocholt autumn fair is the largest folk festival in the region today. Likewise, with the 564 edition in 2018, it is one of the oldest folk festivals in the region.
Data
- 500,000 visitors
- 300 showmen
- 3.5 km of running paths
- 30,000 m² building area
- 20 large rides
useful information
The fair traditionally begins on Friday with happy hour at 2 p.m. All rides are discounted until 5 p.m. In the evening, before the official tapping of the keg, fireworks financed by the showmen are set off. The barrel tapping then takes place in the Bayernfestzelt by the mayor. In addition to the Bocholters, there are a lot of foreigners at the fair on Saturday and Sunday. Many visitors, especially from the Netherlands, travel by coach. Sunday is considered a “club day” among the Bocholters. Many sports teams, bowling enthusiasts or other groups are out and about on this day. The largest tent on the site, the Bayernfesthalle, offers a program every day. Every year, mainly stars from the pop music scene compete.
Infrastructure / arrival
Since the fair does not take place on large event areas like in other cities, but in the center, visitors from outside have to be prepared for parking problems. The parking garages in the city center as well as the parking lots of large department stores slightly outside adapt to the opening times of the fair and thus equalize the rush of visitors. The situation in the neighboring districts is often problematic. The already limited number of parking spaces for the residents is intensified enormously by the autumn fair. Bocholters traditionally travel by bike or city bus. StadtBus Bocholt GmbH sets up special traffic and runs every half hour during the fair until well after midnight. Many cyclists leave their bikes at one of the so-called bike guards. These can be found around the fairground and are carried out by youth groups from various organizations. Due to the autumn fair, there are massive closures in downtown Bocholt. In addition to individual smaller streets in the core, even a section of the city ring is not accessible, so that a tour is no longer possible and the usual areas of the ring are used to a greater extent. The fair can also be easily reached by train. It is not far from Bocholt main station to the city center.
safety
The police show an increased presence during the fair. In addition to the officers from the Bocholter Hauptwache, deployment hunks and, due to the high number of Dutch visitors, also Dutch police officers are deployed.