It took around 480 e-mails for Thomas Wedde to fulfill all the requirements needed to put together the parade. Once again this year, around 60,000 spectators are expected to be on hand.

Statistics: There won’t be any riders on horseback this year but there will be a horse pulling a carriage. And 28 different carnival clubs will participate, with about 1,812 carnival “Jecks” in the parade. With a total of 32 floats, there will be 25 support vehicles. As well, there will be three cannons typically shooting out confetti and14 music groups to create a festive carnival atmosphere. 420 “wagon angels” will walk beside the floats to ensure no-one gets caught under the wheels of floats.

Participants: For the first time, the Bananaflanke will be leading the way. The group is from an innovative soccer project especially for disabled and socially disadvantaged children and adolescents. A home building store will distribute orange plastic buckets - perfect for gathering up all the “Kamelle” - the goodies thrown out to the crowd during the parade. Joining in the festivities are also many local carnival clubs from Plittersdorf, Heiderhof, Muffendorf, Lannesdorf and more - sporting silly carnival names that are not really translatable.

Parade route: It starts at Rigal'schen Wiese, then continues on Kurfürstenallee, Am Kurpark, Koblenzer Straße, Alte Bahnhofstraße, Moltkestraße, Aennchenplatz, Koblenzer Straße, Theaterplatz, Brunnenallee, Schwertberger, Burg, Ännchenstraße, Friesdorfer Straße up to Weißenburgstraße.

Safety and security: Parade participants have been instructed to not hand out anything in glass containers. And only carnival music is allowed to stream out from the carnival vehicles. When the parade floats are not moving, no Kamelle (treats) can be thrown out.

For the first time, there is a security concept in place, with around 100 police assigned to the parade. Axel Müller-Storp from the Technical Relief Agency Bonn is bringing along 25 volunteers. They take care of the wireless technology and the setting up of several hundred meters of barriers. Fire and rescue teams are also involved. Hassan-Dirk Yücelli from the German Red Cross in Bad Godesberg will be there with 38 helpers. Thanks to some local companies, there will be truck barriers at open access roads to ensure the security of spectators. "No means no" is also a part of the Bad Godesberg concept. It is the Bonn campaign which promotes zero tolerance when it comes to all forms of violence and sexual assault.

Marketing: This is the first time that marketing is up to the festival committee of the Godesberger carnival. It is responsible for both the look and variety of stands that are registered. “It’s the first time that there will be a strict ban on glass containers for all providers who want to sell drinks along the carnival route,” says festival committee spokesman Alfred Schmelzeisen.

Commentary: In several places along the train route, experienced Godesberg carnival friends will provide commentary, for example at the beginning of the Kurfürstenallee, on Koblenzer Straße, and Moltkeplatz opposite the Kinopolis and Theaterplatz.

For more information (in German), there is a website dedicated to carnival in Bonn and the region: kamelle.de.

(Orig. text: Richard Bongartz / Translation: ck)