If the number of fairgrounds rose to 42 during the last spring fair, the observation drawn by the administrative police, responsible for organizing these events, is the same: the attendance is decreasing. “Covid has completely changed the situation,” explains Ana Martins, head of the administrative police in Moutier. “The fairgrounds present until then were regulars. But after the pandemic, many of them went out of business.”
Various ideas
“As at the time, this is done on the Friday of the school holidays. But people’s habits have changed, perhaps they go on vacation more,” slips Julien Berthold. This is why changing the day and time of the event is one of the solution ideas proposed in the postulate. The Prévôtois is thinking of Saturday in this way, in order to attract a wider audience. Rethinking the layout of the stands is also on the table, as is the type of products offered. “The offer is currently very limited. We could focus on local products, attracting traders from all over Switzerland,” he says.
Focusing the fair on local products would be a good idea according to Clément Piquerez, municipal councilor in charge of public safety. “Because the goal of this event is to put local traders forward. And now, it is true that we have lost that a little. If we could restore the initial soul of the fair, that would be ideal. And we must go through that,” he notes.
Process in progress
The municipal councilor reassures: “In my department, we had already thought about doing something for the fairs, before the postulate arrived. A reflection on the file will therefore, whatever happens, be carried out and all the proposed changes will be implemented. on the table. We are only at the beginning of the process, but the fairs will not die immediately, without us trying anything.”
