Narri Narro: the Rheinfeld carnival connects two towns and their people

"The sister towns organize the Rheinfeld parade together. There are no national borders at this special event," Joël Lässer is convinced.

He has been President of the Rheinfelden Carnival Society (FGR) for three years. He has been a carnival fan since childhood. It makes him all the happier to be so close to this great and important Rheinfelden tradition and to work to ensure that the next generations are also gripped by carnival fever - as happened to him a few decades ago.

What does it take for a parade with around 80 formations (Guggenmusik, running formations and float cliques) to take place on Carnival Sunday?

"As more formations from Germany traditionally take part, our colleagues in Badisch Rheinfelden coordinate the parade line-up," says Joël Lässer.

However, the overall planning and organization of the parade is done jointly. Within the board, it is Marcello Flückiger, FGR Vice President, who takes on many tasks.

Who takes part?

As Joël Lässer explains, it is important to identify the participating formations at an early stage, especially the guest bands, which come from all over Switzerland. This is followed by organizational tasks such as the line-up and order of the parade participants, catering stands, waste concepts, barriers, safety precautions and much more. "Float cliques must have their vehicles inspected by the road traffic office," is another crucial point that must not be forgotten. "Yes, you have to think about a lot of things," says Lässer. With around 80 formations and around 2,500 participants, the flow of the parade is always an issue.

"Last year, the Fools' Guild and we, as the front of the parade, tried to keep up with the music. This should lead to a regular pace and fewer 'holes' in the procession. It was definitely very entertaining."

The cross-border parade is the largest and most popular element of the Rheinfeld carnival, which showcases the harmonious cooperation between the two sister towns. It is part of a tradition that connects not only two towns and two countries, but also many people. The active carnival revellers, but also the spectators, move very close together during this special time when people tend to forget their everyday lives.

Depending on the weather, up to 15,000 carnival enthusiasts from all over the region flock to Rheinfelden to experience the unique cross-border parade. The Rheinfelden carnival is all about the colorful hustle and bustle, exuberance and merriment.

To ensure that everything runs smoothly during this fifth season, it takes people like Joël Lässer, Marcello Flückiger and many other dedicated carnival enthusiasts on both sides of the Rhine who put their heart and soul into the time-consuming preparations.

Then the carnival can come and it's time to say "Narri Narro" again in all the streets of Rheinfeld.

Janine Tschopp is a freelance journalist. She writes regularly for the Neue Fricktaler Zeitung, the cultural magazine "2x Rheinfelden" and the Rheinfelden Christmas magazine, among others.