Festival · Early August
Mainfest (the river festival)
The Mainfest is the city thanking its river. It has been celebrated since 1340, and it still fills the north bank of the Main with rides, food stalls and one very wet medieval contest.
July 23, 1340 was a significant day in Frankfurt's history. The Dreikönigskirche was consecrated on the south bank of the Main, and the citizens threw a party to thank the river that had made the city rich. There was ox on the spit for everyone, the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, the Fountain of Justice on the Römerberg, ran with wine instead of water, and the crowd amused itself with games that would not pass muster today. Some of those customs survived. Wine still flows from the fountain when the festival opens.
For centuries the festival was a public thank-you to the river. In the Middle Ages the patrician families lived along the water where the bank towers stand now, and the wealthy citizens paid for the cannon salutes, the wine fountains, the illuminations and the fireworks that still close the event. After the inner city was flattened in World War II there was no Mainfest at all, until the postwar mayor Walter Kolb revived the tradition.
Frankfurters take it personally. When construction forced the festival out to the Ostpark in the early 1970s, attendance dropped for the first time and the city let everyone know it had been a mistake. Since 1973 it has been back in its proper place between the Römerberg and the Mainkai. Hours run from noon to 1am on the Friday-to-Saturday night and noon to midnight from Sunday into Monday.
The festival stretches 500 meters (about a third of a mile) along the north bank: a roller coaster, a children's carousel, a chain swing, a breakdancer ride and a Ferris wheel that looks best after dark against the lit bank towers. There are 108 game booths, food stands and bars in total, and the air smells like bratwurst, ox on the spit, flame-grilled salmon, cotton candy, candied almonds and apple wine. A stage at the Römer hosts live music for singing and dancing along.
The oddest and best tradition is the Fischerstechen, fisherman's jousting, which has been part of the festival since 1340. Strictly speaking it is a lance tournament, except it is fought from boats on the Main, and the goal is to knock your opponent into the river. The crowd on the bank follows it closely, and the loser gets a swim. Centuries ago the fishermen were competing for the best stalls at the fish market. Now it is entertainment, and nobody minds getting wet.
Getting there: take tram 11 or 12 to Römer/Paulskirche or Willy-Brandt-Platz, or the U4 or U5 subway to Dom/Römer, then walk a few minutes to the riverbank. If you insist on driving, three parking garages sit within reach, at Dom/Römer, at the Hauptwache and at the Konstablerwache.
