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Saturday, August 30, 2014

The Market of the Meadow

I wrote about this annual festival last year, but it bears repeating.
This year, 2014, is the 621st "Bleiburg Wiesenmarkt" ( Market of the Meadow ).
Fully 99 years before Columbus set sail and discovered America ( or so they say ) Duke Albrecht gave the town of Bleiburg the right to conduct a farmers' market. From far and wide they came and brought their oxen, their cows, horses and pigs to exhibit the best of the best and to sell some of them to willing buyers.
The farmers came with their wives and children and there was need for entertainment. The ladies wanted to shop for items they would need all the coming year: Kitchen wear, spinning wheels, clothing for themselves and their children. Soon this farmers market expanded from a simple animal show, to a market place for all manner of things. Then, of course, came the Merry Go Round and other amusements, until today the amusement area by far exceeds in size the business side of things.

The "Wiesenmarkt" is inaugurated by a parade, lead by the Mayor and other dignitaries of the town.
For the past few years there has been  a musical presentation: 
"Jazz in da Hittn", a dialect title, loosely translated as : "Jazz in the barn".
and what fabulous musicians they are.
Led by Stefan Thaler on Bass and Tonc Feinig at the keyboards: I regret that I cannot add sound to this Blog. Here's the band:



Michael Erian - Tenor Sax, Thomas Käfel - Drums,
Stefan Thaler - Bass, Tonc Feinig - Keyboard,
Ana Bezjak - vocals




Jazz, the way it ought to be played and sung.



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