Despite the heat, hundreds of thousands of people did not go to the beach to cool off in recent days, but Park Hilaria, the annual fair in Eindhoven. For ten days, the John F Kennedylaan is crammed with attractions and cotton candy stalls. Sunday is the last day. “Despite the heat, we still want to taste the atmosphere.”
Visitors who come to the fair despite the high temperature can find several water taps on the site. The trees also provide cooling. The people who are there in the middle of the day seem not to be bothered much by the heat. “Just eat ice cream and drink lots of water,” one boy says. “It’s warm on the beach too, so it doesn’t matter whether you’re here or there,” laughs an older woman.
The first aiders keep a close eye on everyone in this heat. “We advise people to drink extra and especially to seek shade,” says Jolanda Janssen of the first aid post. The post has a prominent place in the middle of the site. Despite the heat, Janssen has not seen any crazy things in recent days. “We also constantly walk in circles. That way we keep an eye on things.”
More than 450 thousand visitors
This is the first time after two years that Park Hilaria is allowed to take place again without measures. “Last time we were around four hundred thousand visitors because of the time slots,” says Mariola Scheepstra of the organization. According to her, the park has received slightly more visitors this year, namely 450 thousand. “Of course people also stay away because of the heat.”