Rutenfest

We enjoyed the experience of Rutenfest, for the most part. It is a huge holiday here in Ravensburg and celebrates the end of the school year and tells a lot of the history of the city. The parade we saw on Monday is something like what we have in Utah for Pioneer Day (which happens to be today). So here I have a lot of pictures and movie so you can compare notes with the Pioneer Day parade.

There were lots of bands playing. They even went around the neighborhoods playing before and after the parade and on other days as well. The first picture is of a band that went down the street behind our house. This is looking out of our back windows.

Now here is a short movie I took of one of the bands in the actual parade.

Here are the rest of the pictures, with a comment here or there.

 We met near the "pin cushion" fountain with the elders. This is just before the beginning of the parade.

 Of course, they celebrate the local Ravensburger games and puzzles company (makers of Memory, Elferaus, Phase Ten, etc. and many very good puzzles)

 As you can tell, they used a LOT of children in the parade. We loved this group.

 and how many does it take to carry the spear?

 postal delivery

 May pole

 fire department, complete with a burning house

 I couldn't resist this guy giving his all in the bugle band

 for the boys at home

 Our famous Mehlsack tower. Mehlsack means "flour sack."

 A lot of the horses had little bonnets that covered their ears.

 Thumbing his nose at the crowd...

 Notice the crossbows. They take their shooting sports seriously here.

 These represent the shooting clubs. Armbruster means Crossbow. Adlerschiessen means Eagle shooting. They have a lot of shooting contests at Rutenfest.

 They have these young men who carry banners. A stick with a large banner attached. They are expert at tossing them way high in the air and then catching them. This banner is yellow and brown (wound around the stick before tossed. See it in the air, nearing the open windows on the pink building. The crowds really cheered them on.

More horse bonnets.

 It was a hot day. They looked pretty tired here.

Later in the parade they had more people dressed in various forms of armor. We were on our way home at this time. After 90 minutes, we were getting kind of tired and very hot.

I hope you enjoyed this!