Büren Schützenfest

Picture to the right is my host dad and bro.

To begin my blog let me quote Wiki by explaining a little bit about the famous Shützenfest:
"A Schützenfest (German "marksmen's festival") is an annual traditional festival celebrated in the Northwest regions of Germany as well as in Bavaria. It is a kind of local fair featuring a shooting match among members of the local marksmen's association and usually takes place in summer.
At a Schützenfest, contestants compete their shooting abilities, for example by shooting at a wooden representation of an eagle. The winner of the competition becomes the 'Schützenkönig' ("king of marksmen") until the next year's competition.
The commercially organized Schützenfest of Hanover, Germany, is the largest marksmen's Fun Fair in the world with more than 5,000 marksmen, 260 rides and inns, 5 large beer-tends and the "Marksmen's Parade". The parade with more than 12,000 participants from Germany and all over the world and more than 100 bands is 12 kilometres long. It is the longest parade in the world. The landmark of the funfair is the highest transportable Ferris wheel in the world. It is 60 metres high and can transport 420 people in 42 cabins.