The Bern Buskers Festival has upped the beat of the medieval heart of Bern each August since 2004. Roughly 150 world artists perform in Bern's old town — a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Music, dance, theater, street performances, and acrobatics take place on a rotating schedule on 25 stages set around the town. The streets, alleys, and plazas throng with 70,000 folks of all ages trying to catch as many performances as possible over the three-day event. It is incredible.
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| Darrell ready to enter Buskers Bern |
I was hungry, par usual, and there were 63 gastronomically delightful stands
from all over the world ready for me to try - including
Brazilian Coxinhas, Chilean Empanadas, Brienz Cheese Roasters, Crepes and
loads more. We chose our food and drink based on the shortest lines, as we rightly assumed everything would be terrific.
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| Cooking my Chilean Lomito - que rico! |
Music venues included folk music from Cyprus, Norway, British Isles and Ireland, there was Oriental Brass and Big Beats, Senagalese Afropop, Polish Jazz Fusion, and lots more! One of our favorites was an Australian Blues and Roots single man show, Claude Hays.
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| Claude Hays, Australian Music Man extraordinaire! |
It was so fun to weave between people of all ages and find the stages next to the 15th century arcades (covered shopping areas) and the 16th century fountains - more on both of those later!
There were also activities for children and adults from street theater and acrobatics to participatory writing.
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| Typing thoughts to share or keep to yourself |
The girls below got their awe-inspiring hair done at another booth, and were now at a giant blowing bubble table.
I may not have understood a word, but the Botox Box theater below was still incredibly funny!
I've always enjoyed the juxtaposition of old and new. I love the Panda Buns food booth below the Bern Minster, a Swiss Reformed cathedral, built in the Gothic style beginning in 1421!
Another highlight, reminding me greatly of my favorite paleontologist, Dave Gillette of the Museum of Northern Arizona, are the walking whatever-they-are!
The exuberance of the crowd and the grand celebration of this musical and artistic cultural mix was incredibly heartening. Viva the Buskers Festival and all the amazing artists and other people that created this amazing annual event.
Note: You can see many more great images
here from the official website.
