Stuttgart Spring Festival

Stuttgart Spring Festival (in German called Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest or sometimes vernacular Cannstatter Wasen or just Wasen) is an annual fair that takes place in the German city of Stuttgart between the middle of April and the beginning of May. The festival takes place on the Cannstatter Wasen, traditional fairgrounds in Stuttgart's Bad Cannstatt district. It is slightly smaller than the festival in the autumn (and therefore occasionally also called the "small Wasen"), but it is the largest spring festival in Europe. Like the autumn fair, the Frühlingsfest offers a variety of fairground attractions. The tallest attraction is the 47 metre Ferris wheel and the fair almost invariably features a major roller coaster. The Frühlingsfest starts on a Saturday with the traditional opening of a beer barrel by the Stuttgart mayor. The Fruit Column, a tall wooden structure decorated with fruits, was introduced to the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest in 1995. Originally it was only present at the autumn Volksfest but in 1995 it was left to stand on the festival site all year round. However, in later years, this practice was changed and once again the column began to be dismantled in the autumn of each year, leaving just the base. This carried a large can during the Stuttgarter Frühlingsfest.The Stuttgart Spring Festival is an annual fair that takes place in Stuttgart, featuring rides, food, and entertainment.