Zemst (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Zemst is bringing animals back to its Whit Monday fair, with rules to ensure their safety. Mayor Bart Coopman and vet Katia De Vreese oversee the care, with ponies, goats, and donkeys featured.
In 2025, Zemst, a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, Belgium, decided to bring back animals to the fair on Whit Monday. Even though animals are coming back to the fair, the town of Zemst has made some rules to keep the animals safe and make sure everyone has a good time.
The mayor, Bart Coopman, said they won’t let anyone sell animals at the fair. Animals will also have to stay in fenced-in areas so they can’t run around and get in the way. The town also wants to make sure the animals have enough water and food all day long. They want to make sure the fair is fun for everyone, but they also want to make sure the animals are treated well.
How will Zemst ensure animal safety at the 2025 fair?
The town of Zemst has also said that people who bring animals to the fair have to give them a place to stay out of the weather. The mayor, Bart Coopman, said this is important to make sure everyone is happy.
He mentioned that some people want to bring animals to the fair, and some people worry about the animals. The shelters will keep the animals safe from rain, sun, or wind. The town cares about the animals and wants to make sure they are comfortable.
The town of Zemst has a veterinarian, Katia De Vreese, who will make sure everyone follows the new rules for animals at the fair. She will check on the animals twice, once before the fair starts and again when the market opens. This is to make sure the animals are well taken care of. Right now, the people who run the fair are talking to the people who have stalls to see which animals will be there. They think there will be ponies, goats, and rabbits. There will also be donkey rides for kids.
The town of Zemst decided in 2020 to stop having animals at its yearly fair. They wanted to make the fair more modern and keep people safe. But the pandemic happened, so the first fair without animals wasn’t until 2022. Many people who run stalls at the fair were upset because they liked having animals there. They said animals made the fair special and were part of the town’s history.
