The 372nd Weimar Onion Market: tradition, fun and onion cake!

The 372nd Weimar Onion Market: tradition, fun and onion cake!

On the second weekend in October, Weimar opened its doors again for the popular folk festival, the **Weimar Onion Market**. This year the market is celebrating its 372nd edition. First mentioned in a document as “Viehe- und Zippelmarckt” in 1653, this traditional market attracts countless visitors to the charming city center. Loud stern.de Tens of thousands of guests are expected to arrive to experience the hustle and bustle.

The onion market was ceremoniously opened at 12 p.m., with the cutting of a freshly baked onion cake taking center stage. Over 450 dealers and exhibitors are available to guests with their stands. The stands of the Heldrung onion farmers were particularly popular, where the typical red and white onion braids are a real eye-catcher. Of the 40 vendors from the northern Thuringian city, many are represented with their regional specialty, onion trains.

Entertainment and comfort

Musical entertainment is provided. Around 500 artists put on a varied program on eight stages spread across the entire old town. Visitors have the opportunity to savor the flavors of onion cake and Federweißer and to pick up one or two beautiful souvenirs, such as artfully braided onion braids, while browsing through the 600 stalls.

With a number of visitors of around 250,000 last year, the popularity of the market is evident. On Saturday, retailers reported particularly busy customers and soon there were no more free parking spaces to be found. The city has taken measures to make it easier for those arriving: shuttle buses run between the Humboldstraße P+R car park and Hoffmann-von-Fallersleben-Straße in order to offer guests a relaxed journey Wikipedia reported.

Safety precautions and weather issues

Unfortunately, there was a storm on Sunday morning which caused damage to five traders' huts, resulting in two traders having to close their stalls completely. Fortunately, the number of injuries remained low in relation to the number of visitors, with around 70 treatments, mainly for wasp stings and minor injuries. That's the balance sheet MDR reported.

The festival has since developed from a simple market activity into a lively folk festival that attracts not only locals but also numerous tourists. The next onion market will take place from October 10th to 12th, 2024 and preparations for it are already in full swing.