It’s been a wonderful autumn in Switzerland this year, without snowfall to this point and with warm sunny days surpassing many of those in summer. Autumn also brings fair season in Switzerland, brought in by truckloads of carnival rides and Michael Jackson props. I attended two of these fairs in the past weeks – St. Gallen’s Olma and Basel’s Herbstmesse.
Olma is the name of a famous sausage in St Gallen. Tourists from across Europe have heard of its legend and it’s labeled as the “can’t miss” food for their visit. In fact, the taste is supposed to be so good that they say you offend the cook by smothering it with mustard or some other condiment because this taste is good enough to stand alone.
But before the sausage, Olma was an acronym meaning “Ostschweizerische 
Land- und Milchwirtschaftliche Ausstellung,” an annual fair focusing on agriculture and offering city folk a chance to mingle with country folk over drinks. It happens for 10 days annually on the fairgrounds dubbed Olma Messen, a spread of several “halls” that welcome guests daily until 7 p.m. After 7, the party continues well into the night outside of the halls.
Unlike Olma, Herbstmesse is spread across the city of Basel with no overall admission fee. Most of the outdoor exhibits, vendors and rides are the same as at other Swiss fairs but nothing offered at other fairs quite compares to Kellerabsieg when Basel Fasnacht cliques open the doors to their private basement clubhouses for only one night.
We had previously attended Basel Fasnacht and witnessed the confetti showers, irreverence and flute playing. Even during Fasnacht, though, these basements remained off limits. On this night, food and drinks are served at prices lower than offered at Swiss restaurants and guests are able to see decor from past carnivals that remain as souvenirs.
-Chris
