While carnival revelers were falling over each other in most places in the city center of Breda, the bars in Vismarktstraat remained empty for a long time last weekend. Due to the crowds, the municipality closed this street several times. Pub owners on Vismarktstraat talk about sixty percent less turnover, but according to the municipality this could also be due to the nice weather and the popularity of the outdoor carnival.
To keep the crowds in the city under control, the municipality came up with a package of measures this year. The city center was designed as an event area. More stages were added and carnival could be celebrated outdoors on squares. Food stalls were placed together at one point for better flow. And when the squares became full, streets were closed with a fence, so that visitors could no longer walk to the full square. This also happened to Vismarktstraat a few times.
The latter measure in particular has now given pub owners in Vismarktstraat a serious hangover. As a result, their cafes were often only half full. The street where their cafes are located connects the Haven and Havermarkt. There were two extremely busy points where the outdoor carnival took place.
“No one can go anywhere like this anymore.”
“We are not against closing, but we are against closing this way,” says Ad Baelemans of café Catch 22. He would have preferred if only the busy squares were closed. “Because now it costs us a lot of turnover.”
Annemarie Zijlmans from café ‘t Stammeneke wholeheartedly agrees with Baelemans. “Fences, posts and barriers. Those squares stopped everything. No one can go anywhere like that.” She saw far fewer guests, especially on Saturdays. “On Monday during the parade, there was no music at the Havermarkt and it was less busy. Then everything goes well.”
The entrepreneurs say they have earned up to sixty percent less than in previous years. Farid Bicane, with three catering businesses in Vismarktstraat, also has the same experience. “Let me first say that some people at the municipality have really done their utmost to arrange everything properly, but here they have missed the mark. Visitors must be able to reach us.”
“Of course the nice weather played a role.”
The criticism from catering entrepreneurs has now also reached the city office. According to a spokesperson, the good weather and the increasing popularity of the outdoor carnival may be the cause. “This year too we saw that carnival revelers in Kielegat stayed outside en masse. You also saw that in other Brabant cities.”
“Of course the nice weather also played a role,” adds the owner of café Catch 22 honestly. “But the biggest problem for us was really the inaccessibility. A half-empty café during carnival was really unthinkable in recent years.”
According to the municipality of Breda, the measures in the Visstraat were necessary to allow the festivities to take place safely. “There will be an evaluation and we are open to suggestions from entrepreneurs,” said a spokesperson. The municipality does emphasize that safety and manageability always have priority.
“This festival design has an attractive effect.”
The catering entrepreneurs are of course also happy that carnival went off safely. Yet they believe that there is a flaw in the municipality’s safety policy. Ad Baelemans: “I think that this festival design actually has an attractive effect on people from outside. Flyers have even been posted above the rivers to get people to the extra party tent on the Chasséveld.
He concludes: “Maybe we should look at that first before we close streets because of crowds. We have to prevent this from happening again on King’s Day!”