Host Nation Update, Nov. 4, 2022
Long shopping night in Stuttgart – Free public transportation in Stuttgart
The city center is currently richer by two attractions. The Ferris wheel in the courtyard of the New Castle has started its operation a few days ago. On Wednesday, the roller skating rink on the Schlossplatz was added. A few meters further – in front of the Art Museum – the next special feature is now waiting on Saturday, November 5: As part of the Long Shopping Night, the City Initiative Stuttgart will set up a so-called “Energy Dance Floor” measuring around 70 square meters. “In the wake of the energy crisis and the associated cost-cutting measures, we as City-Initiative Stuttgart have decided to set an example,” says City Manager Sven Hahn. Instead of consuming electricity with a large illumination of the Königsbau as in previous years, electricity will be produced with the dance floor. “When we have reached a certain level of produced electricity, our sponsors – Stadtwerke Stuttgart, BW-Bank and Königsbau Passagen – will donate a considerable amount to Aktion Weihnachten, the charity campaign of Stuttgarter Nachrichten,” says the city manager. But it is now clear what the program on the dance
floor will look like. Between 12 and 22 o’clock anyone will be able to dance to music, which DJ Toni Disco will put on. In addition, the New York City Dance School (Hip- Hop/Swing/Cheerleader), the Floor Legendz (Breakdance) as well as Falabares and RoBeat (Hyperactive Beats) will perform, among others. There will be workshops in street dance and Zumba. Toni Disco and MC Bruddaal will perform their new energy song at 6:45 pm. The long shopping night will last until 10 p.m. It should help that the buses and trains of the Stuttgart Transport and Tariff Association (VVS) in Zone 1 can be used free of charge on November 5. “Guests coming from other zones simply buy one zone less,” says Sven Hahn. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Nov 4)
Stuttgart – The Christmas Tree is up at the Schlossplatz
This year, the Christmas tree 2022 in front of the Königsbau is 22 meters high, weighs five tons, is not necessarily completely straight and – like every tree – has its more beautiful and also not so beautiful sides. The Stuttgart Schlossplatz tree this time is a silver fir and comes from the Welzheim forest. The tree was allowed to live 75 years before it now experiences a last highlight, so to speak, as a Christmas tree. The crane operator showed great dexterity when he then hoisted the tree safely and with centimeter precision into the oversized Christmas tree stand in the form of a high and extremely stable metal sleeve. Since then, Stuttgart’s largest Christmas tree has been standing, waiting to be decorated. 22,500 LED lights: that’s half the luminosity of the previous years. The 2022 Schlossplatz fir will shine a little differently than its predecessors. True, it will shine warm and cold white and sometimes blink. But the two height workers, two decorators and an event technology specialist will have less to do than usual from November 7: Only about 3.5 kilometers of fairy lights with 22,500 LED lights will be wrapped around the branches, which is about half the luminosity of previous years. This was decided by the city in view of the current situation and the associated energy crisis. The Christmas decorations will be switched on for the first time on November 23, when the Christmas market also opens. It will then illuminate the Schlossplatz again and again until the New Year, but not as extensively as in the past. The tree will illuminate the square for a total of 240 hours, compared with 450 hours for its predecessor last year. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Nov 4)
Weather in Baden-Württemberg – First snowflakes expected on the Feldberg
Just a few days after the end of the Golden October, the first snow is expected on the highest peak in Baden-Württemberg, the 1493-meter-high Feldberg. “A few flakes could actually fall on Saturday night,” a meteorologist with the German Weather Service (DWD) told the German Press Agency. Skis and toboggans, however, can safely continue to stay in the basement: “The air is cold enough, but the ground is still far too warm, nothing will stay there,” the expert continued. “It’s much too early for that.” And also during the course of Saturday, there should be little to remind us of an imminent winter throughout the country. The DWD expects sunshine, for the Alb plateau and the southern Black Forest, highs of 6 degrees are predicted, on the Tauber it should be up to 12 degrees. It will probably be dry in the night to Sunday, lows between 4 and minus 1 degrees are expected. (Stuttgarter Nachrichten, Nov 4)