“We’ve benefited from favourable weather conditions, despite the storm on Saturday evening, so we’ve been able to get the fair off to a good start, especially on Sunday, when it was already well attended,” said Charles Hary, president of the National Federation of Fairground Traders. So it was in a confident mood that the fairgoers at this 682nd edition of the Schueberfouer got the traditional annual event underway.

Burgomasters’ Day (La journée des bourgmestres) will take place on Tuesday 27 August, between 7pm and 10pm, and will be attended by 48 elected representatives--“a record, if I’m not mistaken,” enthused Hary. On this occasion, customers will be served by the mayors of the country’s various communes, who are paid for the occasion and their salaries donated to the Luxembourg Red Cross.

Wednesday 28 August will be a family day at reduced prices, with, for the first time, reduced prices not only on the rides and games, but also in the restaurants, food stands and takeaways. “This is a major effort on the part of the fairground operators to ensure that everyone can take full advantage of everything the fair has to offer,” said Hary.

This will be followed by the Journée des Reines on Thursday 29 August, and the Braderie on Monday 2 September.

Fans of good deals will also note that on Wednesday 4 September, mascot Lämmy and his buddies will be present on the Champ du Glacis to hand out tickets for free rides.

Finally, Wednesday 11 September will be the last day of the fair, with half-price tickets on sale until 8pm for games and rides before the fireworks launch at 10pm.

Ride at a standstill

There was one problem, but fortunately it had no serious consequences. The Top Scan Poseidon Rache ride stopped unexpectedly on Saturday afternoon, and passengers on board had to be evacuated by activating the ride in manual mode. Five people were trapped for around half an hour before they could disembark. “The ride was once again submitted to Luxcontrol for inspection and was back in operation as soon as we received the go-ahead,” said  (DP), Luxembourg City councillor responsible for festivals and markets.

A new collaboration

There’s also something new this year. After developing the Lämmy mascot, the fair now has new souvenir items. “Stolz op eis Fouer” (“Proud of our Fair”) can be seen on T-shirts, caps and mugs, with a big red heart. This is Jacques Schneider’s latest collaboration with the Fédération des Forains, who commissioned him to produce a range of goodies for sale during the fair and throughout the year. The accessories are available from the information stand at the entrance to the Glacis--opposite the Grand Théâtre, where there is also a photo booth--and from Schneider’s boutique on Rue Louvigny.

This article was originally published in .