The Largest Fair on the Rhine (german: Größte Kirmes am Rhein) is a

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

Düsseldorf Düsseldorf ( , , ; often in English sources; Low Franconian and Ripuarian: ''Düsseldörp'' ; archaic nl, Dusseldorp ) is the capital city of North Rhine-Westphalia, the most populous state of Germany. It is the second-largest city in th ...

, one of Germany's largest.Westdeutsche Zeitung
/ref> It takes place the third week in July on the left bank of the Rhine River, in the district

Düsseldorf-Oberkassel Oberkassel ( li, Ueverkassel) is a part of Düsseldorf's Borough 4. Oberkassel lies on the west side of the river Rhine, the opposite side of the central district of Düsseldorf. It has an area of , and 19,052 inhabitants (2020). Oberkassel ...

, and features beer and food tents, amusement park rides, and vendors.

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 and the sanctification of the “Basilika St. Lambertus”, the main catholic church in Düsseldorf’s Old Town. 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.

References

External links

Visit Düsseldorf - Tourism PortalSt. Sebastianus Shooting ClubDüsseldorf International Airport
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