Latest edition : 09 October 2014
Saturday noon, Stuttgart central station. Whole bunches of young girls in little folkloric dresses, young men in leather breeches and check shirts get off the arriving trains.
Others take the direction of a clothing stand in the arrival hall: They sell the whole range of clothing to blend in with the festive crowd: "dirndl" (folk dress with an apron and a blouse that highlights any female breast), 3/7 leather panties for these gentlemen matched with a white and red or green checkered shirt, Tyrolean hat ...
We hear German speaking, of course, but also French, Danish, Dutch, English and Italian. All this colorful little world takes the same direction, that of Cannstatt (a suburb of Stuttgart) and its “Wasen”, the large fairground on the banks of the Neckar river where the Cannstatter Volksfest is held for three weeks, in other words the equivalent of the famous Oktoberfest in Munich.
The success of the Swabian edition of this festival, which will celebrate the bicentenary of its 1st edition in 2018, is growing. So much so that, at times, access to the fairground had to be prohibited! Never mind, the revelers are all the more patient with ease as some of them have provided liquid provisions.
To get an idea of the site, head to the Ferris wheel. The view from up there is great: over the fairground, the Neckar River, the Mercedes Museum looming a little further away, and the colorful crowd thronging the aisles.
But it's time to jump into the crowd! And finally to taste the beer specially brewed for the party.
Please note: to be able to access one of the marquees, you must have reserved your place (generally weeks or even months before!). Then, do not miss your time slot: from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. And don't forget the little bracelet, a precious sesame to enter this coveted place!
Because it is under these famous brewers' marquees that the heart of the celebration beats. From the first "Mass" (one-liter beer mugs) served, spirits cheer up.
To hold out, it is better to eat one or the other regional specialty. Preferably the traditional dish of all beer festivals in Germany, a "Göggele", a roast chicken. Well spiced besides to encourage the consumption of beer.
If you are not lucky enough to have been able to reserve a table in one of the boxes but in the huge parterre, it is better to hurry to eat because the first revelers are already standing on the benches to move to the frenzied rhythms of the orchestras that know how to set fire! Moreover, once standing, we remain standing. This explains why most of the visitors wear sneakers or walking shoes with the traditional costume.
By the way, the plastic bags that more and more experienced ladies take with them are also part of the “traditional” outfit: you can sit on them (the benches have the annoying tendency to become sticky over the evening with the beer overflowing from mugs) and we slip the vest or any other object to protect from the same beer.
These little precautions aside, nothing prevents you from letting yourself be won over by good humor.
On stage, the musicians string together the mostly German variety hits that make everyone wiggle. We clap, we dance, we sing, we cling to each other to move together.
At regular intervals, the musicians sing the sacred hymn of each beer drinker: "Ein Prosit, ein Prosit der Gemütlichkeit ......" And at the injunction "Die Krüge hoch" (raise the glasses), all raise their mug before toasting (and this is where the beer overflows!).
While the atmosphere rises under the marquees, thrill seekers find their happiness in the many thrill rides on the fairgrounds. But not only. A few good old rides are resisting much to the delight of older visitors. The stands abounding with the famous gingerbread hearts carrying many messages (I love you, for my princess .....) are unanimous as are the sachets of toasted almonds ... Moreover, if you have not been able to reserve your place in one of the marquees, you will not die of thirst or hunger: beer gardens and other food-trucks offer their sweet and savory specialties.
Around 4 million visitors from all over the world come to party every year, the next edition will take place from September 25 to October 11, 2015. Time to learn the beer anthem ....
