Fairytale Westhangfest: A family adventure in Gorbitz!

Fairytale Westhangfest: A family adventure in Gorbitz!

Last Saturday the annual Western Slope Festival took place in Dresden Gorbitz under the motto “Fairy Tale”. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., people could really let off steam on the high-altitude promenade between Sachsenforum and Amalie-Dietrich-Platz in wonderful weather. This 17th edition of the popular festival offered a diverse program for the whole family.

Visitors were able to give free rein to their creative ideas and, for example, design “Aladdin’s magic lamp” or take part in the “treasure hunt”. The “Fairy Tale Course” and the “Frog Prince Ball” also provided a lot of fun. A special highlight was the Rapunzel climbing tower, which not only fascinated the little guests. In addition, the fairy tale radio plays and the performances at the historic Crank Theater attracted great attention, where, among other things, stories by the Bremen Town Musicians were presented.

Treats and entertainment for young and old

Culinary delicacies rounded off the festive offering: visitors could look forward to “Little Devil’s Pancakes”, “Cinderella’s Pea Soup” and “Hänsel’s Stick Bread”. The live music from “Encore Orchestra” and “Blechlawine” also created an upbeat atmosphere, while over 30 actors from children's, youth, cultural, educational and social institutions provided support.

The organization of the festival was in the hands of Jürgen Czytrich from Omse e.V. and was highly appreciated and generously supported by more than 20 companies. As usual, entry was free and made the festival accessible to everyone who wanted to be there and immerse themselves in the fascinating world of fairy tales.

Accessibility as an important concern

One point that was particularly important to the organizers was accessibility. In accordance with the Accessibility Strengthening Act, care was taken to ensure that the festival is also accessible to people with disabilities. Technical measures were based on the W3C's WCAG 2.1 guidelines at level AA to enable barrier-free access  such as the Eisenbahner-Wohnungsbaugenossenschaft Dresden eG reported.

This includes, among other things, the provision of barrier-free toilets and parking spaces as well as a clear information structure that addresses the needs of all visitors. The organizers have focused on designing the event to be equally accessible to all participants without the need for special assistance, which is crucial for many people with mobility limitations  as can be found in further information on accessibility.

So the Westhangfest once again became a great experience for everyone - a little fairytale magic in the middle of Dresden Gorbitz, which will hopefully enchant everyone again next year.