An open-air late-summer night festival

In 2022, Matthias H. Wiedmer, Carmen Schönenberger, Nora Mugwika, and Stefanie Klebs took over the organization of the “Usestuehlete,” a long-standing tradition in Rheinfelden. 

“We then brought the local restaurateurs on board, reached out to various food trucks, and thus ensured a wide range of culinary options, including takeout,” explains Matthias H. Wiedmer. 

For example, the menu will feature fried fish, bratwurst, Hörnli and Ghackts, pizza, and much more. “Zaraz will even be running a ‘pop-up restaurant’ in front of the Feldschlösschen restaurant,” reports Wiedmer. In addition, Flo Schreiber and Dani Kummli will be running the “Pro Altstadt Bar” at Zähringerplatz. 

The concept for the event—which attracts around 3,000 visitors when the weather is nice—also includes live music, extended store hours (until 9 p.m. or later), special, uniform decorations, and, of course, 100 table sets, which are organized by the retailer association “Pro Altstadt” and transform the old town into a large festival area. 

50 shops and restaurants are participating

The organizers are pleased that around 50 shops and restaurants from “Pro Altstadt” are participating in the “Usestuehlete.”

 “It’s great that companies not located directly in the Old Town, such as the Aargauische Kantonalbank, are also participating,” Wiedmer says, citing an example. 

So on September 4, from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m., there will be plenty of life in the old town—from the Storchennest to Dock11. The organizers emphasize: “All guests—not just our customers—are warmly welcome.” After the official program, there will be various after-parties inviting everyone to keep dancing and linger a while. 

Stefanie Klebs served on the organizing committee for the last time in 2025, and this year’s event will be the last for Nora Mugwika and Carmen Schönenberger. New additions to Matthias H. Wiedmer’s team include Marin Samardzija, Tina Feldmann, and Carlos Obrist. 

Wiedmer explains: “We also always receive a lot of support from Corinne Caracuta at City Management as well as from the city of Rheinfelden.” He also emphasizes that KUF school classes, led by Karin Küng, lend a hand with setting up and taking down the festival decorations. 

Overall, the “Usestuehlete” is a very popular event that has been a tradition in Rheinfelden for years, with many people, businesses, restaurateurs, and organizations participating as volunteers and putting their hearts into it. All guests from Rheinfelden and the surrounding area are warmly welcome to enjoy a balmy late-summer night under the open sky and simply unwind for a few hours amid the finest cuisine, great music, and many wonderful encounters. A vacation atmosphere and “dolce far niente” just like in the south—right in the heart of Rheinfelden’s old town. 

Janine Tschopp is a freelance journalist. Among other publications, she writes regularly for the Neue Fricktaler Zeitung, the culture magazine “2x Rheinfelden,” and the Rheinfelden Christmas magazine.