Don’t Stand So Close To Me
Sting
After weeks of incessant rain, grey, cloudy skies and unnecessary winds, it looks like there might be some semblance of what we can refer to as summer in Switzerland. Thankfully, it is coming just in time for the large scale outdoor events so I can go out of the house without a damn jacket! The rain and horrible weather has actually given me time to thirst over the summer’s annual shindigs I want to attend.
I am looking forward to some of the events happening in around Zurich from May to August. The first being Afro-pfingsten at the end of May in Winterthur – a celebration of African culture at an open fair in the main square of Winterthur’s town centre.
Afro-pfingsten has a palpable summer vibe with a real spirit of people being there to have a good time. It is about African flair, style and culture.
There are concerts, skilful braiders weaving colourful hair extensions into the hair of excited little girls of all races, drummers and other performers wowing circles of crowds, and stalls with all kinds of goods from all over the continent .
It also gives children of biracial ethnicity, a once-a-year chance to celebrate publicly with their non-Black parents aside from the dominant culture.
The air is filled with the aroma of grilled meats and fish, blazing fires with rings of suya (kebabs) and so much delicious food from the diaspora, from injera to fried plantains and of course, all the jolloff you can eat. Interestingly, there are also offerings of Indian, Tibetan and Spanish-inspired foods, so… something for everyone… just in case African food proves to be a little too much on your delicate palette…
This might seem like a flippancy but other celebrations for *specific* cultures , do not typically extend invitations to African food-stands. Who knows, maybe, churros are African-inspired! I jest but only partly.
If you’re in Switzerland in June, Lindlifest in Schaffhausen is definitely worth a visit. It is a lovely riverside festival spanning over two days and goes into the wee hours of the night.
Lindlifest (Lindli Fascht) boasts just as many food-stands from all over the globe, with play areas and bouncy castles for children to release their pent-up energy while their parents day-drink in the sunshine and enjoy the riverside breeze. There are also great musical performances by bands that are actually rather good and DJs playing a wide array of music in booths dotted all over the festival. As festivals go, Lindlfest is pretty cool.
Swiss National Day Celebrations on the 31st of July at the Rheinfall in Neuhausen, home of the largest waterfall in Europe, is quite a spectacular affair with fireworks right above the magnificence of the Rheinfall. It is a nation-wide celebration, so wherever you end up in Switzerland, there will be something to do and several places to get sloshed! It is a cacophony of music and outdoor activities, impressive firework displays, barbecues in back gardens, lakeside and riverside festivities, as well as parties from night-time till morning.
Stars In Town – as the name rather simply suggests – is when stars come from … well, mostly Europe, to perform… in the town (of Schaffhausen). Stars In Town has, over the years, become a bona fide music festival, although it lacks diversity and could use a jolt of imagination, as there are only so many times you would want to see Rag ‘N Bone Man, no matter how good he is. We’re only human afterall. (Heh-heh. See what I did there?)
I don’t even know where to begin with the Streetparade in Zurich. It. Is. Simply. Bananas! Streetparade is high-energy, high-octane, balls-to-the-wall hedonism, with floats of people in some amazing costumes, followed by hoardes of dancing people, snaking their way around lake Zurich. It is not for the faint-hearted, it is not quaint. It is the all or nothing festival.
If you’re in the mood for something a little more mellow, with less leather chaps and tits and arses out then Zurichfest is your best bet. Don’t get it twisted, it is still loud with big crowds but you can always find yourself at a lounge by the lake that serves your favourite tipple.
All the above-mentioned events will have tons of people milling about and I have enough self-awareness to know that after the first 30 minutes of wandering around every event, feeling other people’s breath on the tips of my shoulders, the brief brush of their skin on mine as I manoeuvre through the crowds, I will begin to wish all the people would disappear so I can enjoy the food-stands in peace!
Still, it will be worth braving the crowds of coughers to feel the vibrant spirit of Lindlifest and the joy of summer at Zurichfest. I’m quite looking forward to Afro-pfingsten, if only to see the white Instagram-dads proudly pushing prams and strollers with their cute biracial bundles of joy all bundled up in African garb. No judgement here, but… fatherhood cosplay is real!
Whether you live here or are visiting, I have given you something interesting to do every month this summer. Don’t say I never do anything for you!
