The organisers, including the SWB, which had attracted many families with its children’s spectacular, as well as business people and stand operators in the streets and squares, could only rejoice at this throng at the Bonn-Fest on Sunday. The weather did the rest on Sunday, with many people heading into the city in the bright sunshine.

Organiser Karina Kröber, from City Marketing, was also very happy with the whole weekend. The Bonn-Fest began on Friday. “From midday, the city was much busier than normal,” she said. “It was a great start.” The concerts on stages in the Marktplatz and Münsterplatz were also well attended.

Businesses would still have benefitted from the rainy Saturday, said Kröber and she was delighted by the business on Sunday. It was not necessarily to do with the Sunday openings. “The streets were already crowded at 11am, when the shops were still closed.” She again defended the decision to open shops on Sunday. After all, there would have been competition from retailers in the surrounding area.

Staff understood this and many sales staff had volunteered to work, said Kröber, because they were assured of payment to compensate for loss of leisure time or better remuneration. “This also helps increase attractiveness and makes Bonn better known.” Sales staff had, in fact, expressed dissatisfaction that the Verdi union had used legal action to try and prevent the Sunday opening right to the end. Verdi was not available to comment on this on Sunday. However, Kröber emphasised that there would continue to be three Sunday openings per year. “We wouldn’t come up with the idea of wanting to increase them.”

Staff at the shirt shop Eterna had no problem working on a holiday. “We are satisfied,” said Ute Heim. Dorotea Münnichmeyer expressed the same view at “Flaschengeist”, where there was great interest in cooking oils, types of vinegar, pestos and other products. She believes the loss of leisure time is not so bad.

However, most people were outside rather than in the shops. There were attractions for children in all the squares or people were interested in the car dealer RKG’s offers in Vivatsgasse and on Bottlerplatz.

(Original text: Stefan Knopp; Translated by Kate Carey)