Grindelwald - Interlaken YodelFest

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Today is the last day of the YodelFest in Interlaken which was about singing groups throughout Switzerland and overseas competing against each other. In the Festival were also alphorn players, and folk music groups. The attendance was supposed to be 20,000 participants and attendees. The finale was to be the Grand Parade through Interlaken which we attended. When we arrived by train just before 2pm the streets were lined with people and participants were ready to leave Interlaken Ost through to Interlaken West. We went to the West Station and waited there for the parade to come through. It was magnificent. There were at least 4 brass bands throughout the parade, dozens of singing groups, groups of alphorn players plus the flag throwers. As well as the music, there was the William Tell Cast in costume, cows with bells and garlands, garlanded horses and wagons carrying people, beer barrels and cheeses, families in farming costumes, Swiss Dog handlers and their dogs, mountaineering groups, children’s groups, wood carving, cheese making and so much more. The whole parade took 2 hours to pass us from beginning to end. It was fantastic. The alphorn players would stop along the street and give a short recital, the flag throwers would do their thing twirling and throwing the flags high to be caught perfectly (most of the time), the brass bands would play stirring marching music with great drum beats, and the choruses were sung all along the way. There were also groups from Canada, the Ukraine and NEW ZEALAND. We, of course had to shout out to the Kiwis!! Seeing such a parade is another “must do” if one is on. We have seen them before but never this big. The Interlaken organisers had done a great job for such a huge event.

After such a hard day of watching, we walked to Unterseen for a beer where we sat in the sun and filled in time before going to Mariann’s for dinner. As always, a superb meal from her. Then the train trip home and stagger up the hill.

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Photos

Alphorn Playing
Alphorn playing at the Parade for the end of the YodelFest in Interlaken

St Bernard dog in YodelFest Parade
The St Bernard dog is the original rescue dog. They have been replaced by a smaller, more agile dog for rescue purposed

Brewery horses
The local brewery uses these beautiful horses with a wagon of beer barrels for Parades

A men's Yodel group
One of the Yodel Club's members in the YodelFest Parade