Hoegaarden (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – For the 1st time in years, Hoegaarden’s July summer fair won’t happen in 2025. Only one stallholder applied but withdrew. Mayor Joris Verbaten (CD&V) blames rising costs and competition.
As VRT News reported, Hoegaarden, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, won’t have its usual summer fair this year, a first in many years. Officials mentioned that, unlike other towns, Hoegaarden’s fair happened informally, with stallholders setting up each July.
They said that this year, things changed. Only one stallholder asked the town, and when they found out no one else was coming, they backed out too. The town didn’t cancel the fair; it’s just that the stallholders weren’t interested this time.
Why is Hoegaarden’s summer fair missing for the first time?
According to officials, for the first time in many years, there will be no summer fair in Hoegaarden this July. The number of fairground vendors coming to the town had already been going down over the past few years. This year, not a single one will be there.
One vendor did send a request to take part in the fair, but when they found out no other stalls would be coming, they also chose to cancel. Because of that, the summer fair will not happen at all. Officials mentioned that this marks a big change for the town, where the fair was a regular event for many years.
Mayor Joris Verbaten (CD&V) said he does not understand why the fairground vendors are no longer coming. He feels sad about the situation. He explained that July is usually a quiet month for fairground workers, but Hoegaarden always gave them good conditions. They could stand for free, had parking, and everything they needed. That used to be enough to bring vendors to the town, but now it is not working anymore.
The mayor thinks that festivals and big cities might be attracting the vendors instead, maybe with better offers. He also said some stallholders may be on vacation in July. No matter the reason, he finds it a shame. Now, Hoegaarden only has a fair on Palm Sunday, and the summer fair is gone.
