Sint-Niklaas (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – For the first time in more than a year, an event will take place on the Grote Markt in the town of Sint-Niklaas. The city has been doing work since May of the previous year to completely redesign the market. The redesign is in full swing, but given the urgency of the slowness, it is already the case that there is a part of the Grote Markt specifically opened for the annual Meikermis.
For the first time in more than a year, an event will have the Grote Markt in Sint-Niklaas as a venue. The city has been doing extensive redesign work since May last year, but an exception has been made for the annual Meikermis.
Part of the market has been opened for the time being to let the fair go being away while in the midst of construction. Alderman for Events Ghizlane Benabdellah (Vooruit) confirmed the arrangement, agreeing that it was a difficult set-up while thanking the workers for their cooperation, as reported by VRT.
Alderman for Events Ghizlane Benabdellah (Vooruit) is pleased that an exception could be made for the installation of the May fair.
“These are not easy circumstances, but thanks to the workers, we were able to give the fair a place here.”
Today, the fairground vendors gave the workers fries and doughnuts.
“It’s always nice to see that others are grateful for the work we do,”
says a satisfied site manager, Bram Peeters.
“We do have some experience working in busier areas, but it’s still special to be working here. In any case, we were really looking forward to this delicious meal.”
There is also satisfaction among the fairground stallholders, who are happy that the annual Meerkemis has not been cancelled because of this.
“We are happy that we can be here at all, and we hear that most fairground stallholders can earn a living here. In 6 weeks, there will be another summer fair. Hopefully the work will have progressed even more by then”,
says fairground stallholder Mario Hafki
The attitude around the work does not keep visitors at home, according to the fairground trader.
“We started on May 1, and that caused a massive turnout because of the holiday. The weekdays are a bit less, but we would rather operate at 80 % than not earn anything at all.”
What led to the Grote Markt redesign and the Meikermis exception?
The Grote Markt in Sint-Niklaas is therefore currently experiencing a major facelift since May 2023, and the city council is in the process of paying for a full redesign to modernise the historic square. The project, which was initially thought to induce long-term disruptions, has limited the public events for over a year. However, city authorities and proponents of the event managed to bargain for a short-term reopening to enable the annual Meikermis, the traditional May fair, to continue.
The move to allow the fair was after consultations between local authorities, construction teams, and the operators of the fairground. Alderman Ghizlane Benabdellah (Vooruit) stressed the cultural and economic value of the Meikermis, which receives thousands of visitors, creating jobs for the local vendors. Construction workers changed their schedule to clear a part of the square without compromising safety, despite the rides and stalls.
