It’s wonderful that after a two-year Corona break, the Cranger fair is finally starting again. But it is also a big challenge: Not all processes are as routine as they used to be and we have a problem with cancellations. Like the catering trade or the airports, showmen also suffer from a large shortage of staff. If in normal years we have to allocate a little over 70 places for shops and restaurants at short notice because showmen cancel, this year there are over 130.
So the last days before the fair will be stressful and the workload will increase day by day. The Cranger fair is the largest fair in Germany in terms of visitors per day and number of feeders. Only the Oktoberfest has more visitors with around 6.3 million, but also lasts 16 days. It’s over for us after eleven days.
I think it’s good that we still have the famous boxing booth, where visitors can compete with boxing professionals. In the past, such offers, where people could see something extraordinary, were more common at fairs. A lot has changed in the last few years. What could change this year is the composition of the audience. We know from other fairs that older people are a little more cautious because of Corona, but the young ones finally want to experience something again. I assume that we will have four million visitors as always, but the average age will be a little younger.
