The Braderie

After the last post, I need to follow-up with something much lighter.

The end of August always brings us a little bit of regret: We loved going to the Minnesota State Fair each and every year, multiple times.  This is our fifth year in a row that we've missed the "Great Minnesota Get Together."  Every year, we look longingly at photos posted by FB friends of the fun we are missing.  The KFAN podcasts of the "Live at the Fair Broadcasts" filter though our iTunes to remind us that we're here, not there.    

For my Belgian friends, State Fairs are time honored traditions.  They began as a showcase for agriculture and livestock, where people from throughout the state would compete to win the title of the best of the best in any number of categories anywhere from pumpkins to pigs.  So today, there are still the agriculture and livestock displays.  But there are also rides, and concerts and markets to shop and lots and lots of food.  There is something for everyone.  When we were younger, we went for the rides and games.  As we got older, it was for the music and beer.  With little ones, it was to wander the streets with the stroller, and start to teach the American tradition to our toddlers.   The Minnesota State Fair is always the last week or so in August, with the last day always falling on the American Labor Day, September 1st.

But La Hulpe does follow-up with something pretty cool.  Each year on the cusp of our disappointment of having to miss the State Fair for another subsequent year, we start to see signs for the annual La Hulpe Braderie.  Here, our "braderie" is a basically like a big town garage sale/street fair.  They close off the main street of La Hulpe, and sell spaces along the street to whomever wants a spot to sell something.   All of the shop owners get a section in front of their store, so they have special sales.  Most of the food shops, like the meat market, the bars or the restaurants, set up tables and chairs and sell food and drinks.  And in between it all are local residents selling garage sale stuff.  They also have rides and games and music.  It is definitely more like Grand Old Day (in St. Paul) or BBQ Days (in Belle Plaine) than the State Fair, but we miss those events too so we will certainly take what we can get and not complain.

And one nice difference about a street fair in europe: they don't make you keep your alcoholic beverages in a beer garden.  You are free to roam about at your leisure with your mohito in hand, which is exactly what we did last night.

 There was one other activity that I'm not sure they have in the states.  A few steps from the front door of our church, there was a giant inflatable swimming pool.  And for a mere five euros, they will put your kid in giant bubble and let them try to move around the pool.  As a mother, it's a little alarming to watch your child get zipped into a giant plastic bag.  But then it's inflated to float on the water and for a good ten minutes or so, you can watch your kid run around like a hamster on a wheel.  I think the whole contraption would just fit into our backyard, maybe we should get one for home?

This year's braderie marked a new milestone for our little family.  We did not need a stroller, and we went at night instead of the daytime.    We saw friends from school, older kids from the neighborhood, people we know from around town all out enjoying themselves on a beautiful September evening.  We watched our kids ride a few rides and sipped a few drinks and ate dinner provided by the street vendors.  We came home and tucked children into bed, tired from the fresh air with bellies full of junk food.  We love our little town.