For a day, there was freedom of fools in Wels

Donuts, flashy disguises, colorful parades, sweets that fly through the air and lots of good-humoured people – all of this makes the fifth season a special one. In Wels, after a 24-year break, carnival was revived on Saturday with a bang. More than 10,000 visitors and 29 guilds turned the city center into an Eldorado for fools. An event that was prepared for months by the carnival club Schelmenrat zu Wels and the Wels city marketing.

“We wanted to make a statement after such a long time. Of course, it involved a lot of work beforehand, but in the end the effort was definitely worth it,” says Anna Maria Wippl, Chancellor of the Schelmenrat zu Wels carnival association. She herself was represented by the association together with the ducal couple Asteria I and Klaus I von Ovilava with a castle-themed float. The Wels city politicians also took part in the parade – not as street sweepers, as rumored beforehand, but disguised as “Après-Ski”.

When asked about her personal highlight, the chancellor doesn’t have to think twice. “That was the moment when we turned into the Ringstrasse and saw all the people. So many visitors were disguised themselves and the children were beaming. That’s exactly why the effort is worth it,” says Wippl. It was important to her and her colleagues from the club and city marketing to revive the carnival tradition in Wels. “We want to make people smile and take them to another world for a few hours. I think we’ve succeeded,” says Anna Maria Wippl happily.

Peter Jungreithmair, Managing Director of Stadtmarketing, is also completely satisfied: “We have shown that carnival is alive in Wels. We have also succeeded in integrating regional gastronomy into the event. I’ve convinced myself of that.” Jungreithmair was impressed by the ring road, just like Wippl. “At about 800 meters, the visitors stood in several rows on both sides. That was an impressive picture.”

The association and city marketing want to use the next few weeks to evaluate. Then the decision should also be made as to when the next carnival parade in Wels will take place. “We don’t yet know exactly when the festival should take place. But it is certain that this format will continue to exist.”