Turnip Parade or Rabeliechtli in Richterswil

Updated for 2019

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Turnip Parade or Rabeliechtli in Richterswil 2019

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Saturday 9th November 201

3pm – 8pm

Photos courtesy of Zurich.com Springer-Foto

Every second Saturday in November there is a wonderful festival in Richterswil featuring carved out turnips with candles. Dating back to the 1920s this has become a very special celebration attracting over a thousand people to this Swiss town on the shores of Lake Zurich.

This year it takes place on Saturday 9th November and not only does it include apparently the biggest lit turnip procession in Europe, but is it certainly truly spectacular with all the little turnips twinkling like hundred of tiny stars.  There will be over 10’000 carved turnips in the town and when the lights are turned off the village looks like  something out of a fairytale.

The turnips portray houses, people, animals and objects and many people also decorate he facades of their houses with lights too. There are plenty of hot snacks to

At the head of the procession is a group of women dressed in black, representing “the churchgoers of Richterswilerberg”. According to tradition they lit the way to the the village church in this fashion and nowadays every November the procession is re-enacted.

The program lasts from 3pm to 8pm:

• from 3 pm Marketstalls sell their wares
• from 4 pm Concerts at Wisshusplatz and in Poststrasse
• from 4 pm  Food and drink at Wisshusplatz
• At 5pm, 6pm and 8.30 pm the illuminated fountain takes centre stage
• 6.25 pm  At dusk all the lights in the centre of the vilage are turned off
• 6.30 pm  The Räbeliechtli-Umzug (procession) begins for about one hour
• 8.00 pm  End of the Umzug and the lights go back on
  The festival itself is free but you are required to buy badges for CHF 8 or Pins for CHF 15 to support the event once you arrive.

For more information on the Turnip Parade click here.

If you are carving your own “Räbli” at home, don’t forget to put it in water until it is needed so that it doesn’t end up all dried up and wrinkly!

Pumpkin Event at Rudolfingen Friday and Saturday 1st & 2nd Nov 2019

You may also be in interested in visiting the illuminated pumpkin event at Rudolfingen.

All pumpkin photos were taken by Carmen Sirboiu at the Rudolfingen festival.

The top 3 photos of the Richterswil turnip parade are courtesy of Zurich.com Springer-Foto

Article updated October 2019

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