Carnival of Mulhouse

The Carnival of Mulhouse is an institution in the region. It has been celebrated for a very long time and attracts hundreds of carnival-goers around the cliques and the “Guggamusik” (music played by carnival bands). The highlight of the show? The big international cavalcade on Sunday afternoon!

Each year, the Carnival is organized around a new theme. In 2023, prepare your most colorful pants, because it will be “The seventies, the power of flowers”. The program of these 3 days of festivities in Mulhouse is dense and offers many possibilities to celebrate with family, friends and in costume, of course! The “Mülhüser Waggis” (Mulhouse boys) and the other carnivalists invade the city with their colorful costumes and floats.

You will find all the components of a Rhineland carnival, as with our friends in Freiburg im Breisgau (Germany) and Basel (Switzerland). By the way, the dates of these 3 carnivals follow each other every year. The numerous cavalcades are always accompanied by “Guggamusik”, the music of the brass and percussion bands that take up in their sauce the Alsatian classics but also the hits of today.
It deserves a little dance step to warm up?

10 good reasons to go to Carnival with children

1. At Carnival time, mostly in February or very early March, the weather is gray. So it’s good to see colorful floats and costumes, including those of the famous Waggis (pronounced Wackeuss), the big-nosed (mostly) rascals who officiate on both sides of the Rhine.

2. You can take some too-cool photos with the Waggis (although the little ones are often impressed)

3. You’ll always have an anecdote to tell: “They made me eat confetti!”… “Me, it was the king of a group of Waggis who spotted me… and bam, a nice purple line on my forehead!”

4. Wiggling with the family to the music of Guggamusik cliques warms up!

5. There are witches, wolves, hedgehogs, pigs, bears, dragons, queens, princesses, firefighters and lots of your kids’ other heroes.

6. There’s candy and cake galore!

7. Carnival is part of Mulhouse traditions and one of the biggest events of the year.

8. It is the only weekend when children, but also parents, can walk around the streets of the city in disguise without attracting attention.

9. It’s a chance to have a family outing and enjoy brunch, lunch or snacks at a downtown restaurant.

10. It feels so good to laugh, have a good time and get covered in confetti!

The program

Wednesday, February 22, 2023

10am-5pm: Children’s day on the Place de la Réunion and downtown Mulhouse (mini parade / various exhibitions / games / stands / fresco, face painting, costume contests / entertainment / arrival of the little princely couple / Waggis / Guggen)

1pm-4pm: Election of the little princely couple at Cora Dornach

4:30 pm: official opening with handing over of the keys of the city on the Reunion Square

Friday, February 24, 2023

1:00-10:00 pm: Mini fair / exhibitions… on the Champ de Foire de Dornach

2pm-5pm: Carnival at the Mulhouse Tourist Office

2pm-5pm: Seniors’ Carnival in the marquee at the Champ de Foire de Dornach (3€)

6pm: Arrival of the Prince on the banks of the Canal

7:30pm-1pm: Opening night on the Champ de Foire de Dornach (5 to 8€)

Saturday, February 25, 2023

9am-12pm: Carnival at the Market and Cora Dornach

11am-10pm: Mini funfair / exhibitions / small catering, refreshments on the Champ de Foire de Dornach

1pm-5pm: Carnival in downtown Mulhouse (Waggis, Guggen…)

3pm-5pm: Children’s show under the big top of the Champ de Foire de Dornach (Free until 12 years old, 3€ afterwards)

7:30pm: Night parade on the Champ de Foire de Dornach

8:30pm to 2am: Carnival Festival under the big top of the Dornach Fairgrounds (5 to 8€)

Sunday, February 26, 2023

10am-12pm: Aperitif concert on the Dornach Fairgrounds

10am-7:30pm: Mini carnival/exhibitions on the Dornach Fairgrounds

3pm: International Cavalcade

5pm-7:30pm: Final Boom

Recipe idea for Carnival

In Alsace, to celebrate Mardi Gras and Carnival, we make “Schankalas”. These greedy doughnuts keep the belly warm so as not to let the winter cold get to you!

Ingredients:

125g almond or hazelnut powder
250g sugar
4 eggs
125g melted butter
500g flour
1 liqueur glass of kirsch (optional)

The recipe:

Mix the sugar, almonds and eggs. Then add the melted butter and kirsch. The alcohol is optional of course.

Then pour in the flour a little at a time until the resulting dough is fairly firm. Let it sit for a few hours in the fridge to harden.

Then shape small finger-sized sticks and cook them in hot oil. When the schankalas come up, it means they are cooked just right. But still remember to turn them over so that they are golden brown all over and evenly.

After they come out of the oil bath, dip them in a sugar/cinnamon mixture (or sugar only) for even more deliciousness!

Now all that’s left to do is enjoy!