German Tuesday - a HARIBO event where you can exchange chestnuts for sweets

HARIBO, as you might know, is a confectionary company, founded in 1920 by Hans Riegel Sr. The company headquarters are in my hometown Bonn, Germany, and the name is an acronym for Hans Riegel, Bonn. Maybe that explains why I'm so fond of Goldbears...

Image: www.haribo.com

Since 1936, each year in late October or early November, a very special event is held at the HARIBO factory in Bonn Bad Godesberg which has become a real tradition. People collect chestnuts and acorns and can exchange them at HARIBO for sweets. At an exchange rate of 10 kg of chestnuts or 5 kg of acorns for 1 kg of HARIBO sweets, tens of thousands take part in Germany and even neighbouring countries. The chestnuts and acorns serve as winter feed for the animals in wildlife parks.

Image: www.haribo.com

Every year the queues are a couple of hundred meters long and roads have to be closed off by the police. The whole event is accompanied by a family fun entertainment program. In 2011, 140 tons of chestnuts and 120 tons of acorns were exchanged for sweets.

It is really busy each year!! Image: Koelnische Rundschau

This year the event will be held on 18th and 19th October so if you are in Bonn at the time, maybe go for a walk in the nearby forests first...
[via www.haribo.com, www.general-anzeiger.de]