Schloßgraben Fest, Darmstadt

Castle Moat Festival

May 27, 2006

Every year there's a big music festival in the city where I live and work. I almost missed this year's because of other commitments, which got canceled, and because of the lousy weather.... rain, low temperatures, and wind.

But on Saturday evening I decide to check it out. The weather was still lousy, but it had temporarily stopped raining. I arrived around 19:30. The music had already been going on since 16:00 and was to continue until passed midnight. I had called my son earlier to see if he and Karen's visiting relatives would join, but they were already preparing for the return flight on Monday, so, as in the passed years, I went alone. Over the whole 4 days (Thursday to Sunday) about a total of 50 bands play! It all takes places outdoors and is free!

I had my camera along and decided to capture some impressions of the event. Many people were also taking advantage of the break in the weather and the whole downtown area was crowded. The music was being performed on three main stages simultaneous and there were lots of food booths and bars. I decided to enjoy a nice melon punch, and later a strawberry daiquiri.... hmmmmmm

I especially wanted to take some pictures of the architecture in the city. Since one of the main streets is completely blocked to all through traffic for this fest, it was nice to get angles that I normally can't without fear of getting run over.

You have to remember that this city was over 70% destroyed in WW II.... but many of the old buildings were luckily rebuilt in their former style.

These two photos are of the castle, from which the fest got it's name. It has a small dried out moat around it and the fest is located all around it. The right photo is inside the inner courtyard. The following photo is another view from the inner court... as you see, there were lots of police cars on duty. But the police also happen to have a station in the castle.

When walking past this building at the market place I noticed something odd and had to photograph it.... a COW on the balcony!! Of course not a real one, but who puts a cow on their balcony?

The castle as seen from the market place.

The state museum... I've never been in it! shame on me!

The new, very modern, community center being built, intergrating some old walls. During excavation they discovered an old well that is also being intergrated into the center.

I have never noticed this building before... it looks interesting.

This shows the closed off street. Just behind the yellow building in the background is where I work.

A group of girls were all dressed in the same t-shirts, the gal in the middle had a veil on her head. Yes, she was the bride and her friends were her brides maids. They don't do bridal showers here, so this is a different thing to do. They went around singing and collecting money from passers by for the bride. Here she is writing a love note to her groom on the street. It's a cute idea I think.

And this guy was making real cigars out of tobacco. He was near a tent with Latin music and where I got my Daiquiri. Yes, alchohol is sold openly at such events.... and greatly consumed! Of course, anyone under 18 can't buy it, but you don't dare forbid selling it in Europe! Disney found that out when they tried to forbid the selling of wine at Disneyland Paris! The French were going to boycott Disneyland!

At 21:00 I decided to go home. It was too long until the band "Juli", one of the number one bands in Germany, would be preforming. And just as I started going home, it started to rain again! A pity for the organisors, but I don't think it stopped people that much from attending!