81st St. Gallen Olma is about to start
Published: Thursday, Oct 3rd 2024, 11:50
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The guest of honor at the 81st Swiss Agriculture and Food Fair Olma is the canton of St. Gallen. The ten-day event begins on October 10 with the official opening ceremony. Around 330,000 visitors are expected to attend.
As always, the Olma offers a mixture of a folk festival with a traditional supporting program and the various exhibitions on agricultural and social topics. With the completion of the new large hall, there is now more space. Compared to last year, 50 more exhibitors are taking part.
One of the traditions is the official opening at the Theater St. Gallen - the rendezvous of St. Gallen's political celebrities. Although the Olma has not been part of the Federal Council's compulsory program for some time now, a member of the national government will once again be in attendance. Viola Amherd will give a speech and then take the usual tour of the fair.
Cancellation from Ticino
The host canton would actually have been Ticino. However, due to cost-cutting measures, it was turned down. It was not necessary to look far for a replacement: The gap was filled by the canton of St. Gallen, which spent CHF 1.55 million on the event with the motto "uf Bsuech dihei". The money comes from the lottery fund - not from the state budget.
The Canton of St. Gallen also takes part in the traditional parade on the first Saturday of Olma, which leads through the city center with around 1500 participants. In a special exhibition with an oversized green living room, 30 St. Gallen personalities and many of the 75 municipalities are in the spotlight.
Uefa will also be among the exhibitors, presenting a preview of the 2025 European Women's Championship. Three matches will be played in St. Gallen.
Also announced is a special show by Swissint Peace Promotion, which will show how members of the armed forces are involved in voluntary missions abroad. There is also the special show "Erlebnis Nahrig" with a focus on Swiss dairy products. There are 600 exhibitors in total.
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