Strasbourg fans of rides, see you next year. Or not. The Saint-Jean fair, which was to start on June 26 and last three weeks, was canceled this year… and is not even sure of taking place in 2025.
“We will have more visibility at the beginning of July,” cautiously announces Pierre Ozenne, the town hall deputy in charge of the file. It is he, from the start, who leads the discussions with the fairground workers. Without them being very clear. Far from there.
Location problem
Worse, for months now the subject has been divisive and sometimes comes up in the municipal council. In question, the place where this more than six hundred year old event is to take place. With the historic Wacken site now built, several possibilities have been discussed. Without any reaching a consensus.
The Zénith-Hautepierre area? Refused by the showmen. “The festive esplanade” of the Bouchers-Meinau plain wanted by the municipality? Not ready at all. As a result, the fair was to be held this summer at the Jardin des Deux-Rives. Except that nothing went as planned…
“The Strasbourg town hall sent an email two weeks before to find out if we were coming or not and many fairground workers were unable to respond,” explains Serge Fornara, who represents his peers on the conciliation committee. “Of the 177 present last year, there was only room for 106 fairgrounds. It couldn’t fit. »
Two places in the race
On June 18, his corporation therefore announced that it refused to settle, out of solidarity with those who had failed. She then came out of several days of protest, including a snail operation. “We couldn’t leave half of our colleagues outside,” explains the owner of two rides to this day, who nevertheless remained on site. In order to discuss, with the city, the next editions.
“We worked on the future and they came with a proposal for land in Koenigshoffen which was an idea of the opposition (of Pernelle Richardot, Socialist Party). We are committed to designing a fairground path there, as well as to the Plaine des Bouchers,” reveals to 20 Minutes Pierre Ozenne. “The technical services and the fairgrounds will now look together at what can be done in order to find a permanent location for this fair. »
“We’re going to block the whole city”
From 2025? The deputy refuses for the moment to answer this question and prefers to discuss a “step by step” file. “I don’t have a magic wand. For any development, permits must be submitted, public contracts must be awarded, etc. But once we are sure that everyone is in agreement, we will initiate administrative procedures. »
Then, perhaps, the anger of the fairgrounds will subside. Again on Tuesday, they threatened to disrupt the passing of the Olympic flame this Wednesday in Strasbourg. “For three weeks, we are going to block the entire city,” Serge Fornara even announced, annoyed. “We share the same desire for a Saint-Jean fair in Strasbourg. Everyone has a lot to lose in the balance of power,” concludes the deputy mayor after several very turbulent weeks.
