Gäubodenvolksfest
The Gäubodenvolksfest in Straubing is the second largest genuine folk festival in Bavaria, Germany after the Munich Oktoberfest.
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History
The Gäubodenvolksfest was founded from Maximilian I Joseph, King of Bavaria in the year 1812 as an agricultural festival to organize an annual meeting of the people in the danube region.
Description
The Gäubodenvolksfest is a modern and family friendly festival with about 120 carousels, roller coasters and seven big beer tents with 24.000 seats at an area of about 90.000 m²., but it still has the origin of the Bavarian culture. Many of the about 1.2 million visitors wear the bavarian habit.The festival combines bavarian tradition with progress and vitality. It is one of bavarians oldest and most popular festivals and it has increased to one of the biggest events in germany. Beer plays a central role in the fair. The beer is specialy brewed. Only breweries from Straubing or the district Straubing-Bogen are allowed to serve beer there.
There is no tradition for a tap, but on the first day of the festival there is a "Bierprobe", that means "trying of the beer" and a parade with 2,000 participants, who show bavarian life-style, with horses and carriages for thousands of viewers.On the second day there is the official opening with a representative of the bavarian or german government.
The festival is held every year in the mid of August and it takes 11 days. The festival is celebrated from the whole city as a "fifth season", and many companies are closed during this time.
Combined with the Gäubodenvolksfest is the Ostbayernschau, the biggest fair trade of eastern Bavaria.
Statistics (2005)
- Number of visitors: 1.2 millions
- Beer: 600,000 litre
- Breweries: 5
- Length: 2,500 metres
- Price of a Maß: 5.85 €
Attractions
- Olympia Looping - The biggest moveable roller coaster of the world with five loopings - every two or three years
- Star World - The biggest movable Indoor roller coaster of the world - every two or three years
- Wilde Maus - a family roller coaster
- Feuer und Eis (Fire and Ice) - a powered roller coaster
- Free fall tower - not every year
- Chairoplane
- Bumper car
- Transformer - a great carousel - not every year
- Bavarian Big Wheel
- Whitewater channel
- Horse riding
- children and family friendly carousels
- Revues and shows
- Bavarian and international food and beverages
- a parade with bavarian and international folklore and beer carriages
- a romantic parade with boats, swimmers and torches on the danube
- a boxing match and other sport events
- two fireworks
- the beer tents with bavarian folk music and moodmusic
Dates of next events
- 2007: August 10 to August 20
- 2008: August 8 to August 18
- 2009: August 7 to August 17
Beer tents
- Beck
Brewery: Erl-Bräu, Geiselhöring
- Krönner
Brewery: Irlbacher, Irlbach
- Lechner;
Brewery: Irlbacher, Irlbach
- Nothaft
Brewery: Karmeliten, Straubing
- Reisinger
Brewery: Arcobräu, Moos
- Sommer / Schötz
Brewery: Röhrl, Straubing
- Wenisch
Brewery: Röhrl, Straubing
External links
- Official Website of the Gäubodenvolksfest
- Information in English about Gäubodenvolksfest
- A lot of pictures about the people, the fun, the beer tents, the nice atmosphere, the ostbayernschau-fair, the rides and so on ...
- gäubodenvolksfest.de
- Lechners Schmankerlzelt
- Wenisch
- Reisinger
- Krönner
- Ochsenbraterei Beck
- Nothaft
Categories
Festivals | German culture | Beer festivals