Foire du Trône 2014 & 2019 & 2023

[Deleted]

In all of the years that I have lived in Paris, I have probably been to the Foire du Trône about a half dozen times, spread over a number of decades. The thrill rides have become increasingly thrilling over the years, to the extent that there is a fatal accident every few years. And sometimes it has been necessary to slow some of the attractions down because various body parts were being dislocated. In spite of this, one thing that always amazes me is how little has actually changed. The lotteries and wheels of fortune are as popular as ever, and some of the standard attractions must be at least 50 years old. It's true that there used to be a freak show area with both real (fat woman...) and fake freaks (half woman, half reptile!). That is gone now, which is just as well in terms of the "real" freaks. They probably couldn't keep just the fake freaks, because you need the mix of fantasy and reality to trick the more gullible customers. I remember seeing "Miss Gorilla" with some friends, because we just couldn't imagine how they were going to do it. "A beautiful young woman is suddenly transformed into a terrifying gorilla before your eyes!" Wow, and that was a good one -- even the men screamed.

The location of all of the tradition attractions absolutely never changes. The rights must be passed down from generation to generation.

These bumper cars have always been right here, the first thing you seen when coming in the main entrance.



The only thing that changes about the lotteries is what new giant stuffed creature is in fashion.





The horse race probably dates back to the invention of electricity.



I have been on this thing in the past. It is very scary.





This child was already crying his eyes out floating in a plastic ball.



Gastronomical delights are everywhere.

[Deleted]

Most people who come here just want to get the shit scared out of them, for example at the free fall tower.







No need for fancy dress to go to the Foire du Trône.







Some of the newer Parisians who have come from countries with a lot of restrictions probably love the back panels more than anything.













The German fun houses just keep getting bigger and bigger.

[Deleted]

There are also just the mild fun houses with the glass walls to bump into.

i450.photobucket.com/albums/qq228/kerouac2/Foire%20du%20Trone/Trone2014047.jpg





Some of the games are so simple that they go back one thousand years.



This just required getting to the top of the ladder to win an iPhone or something. This is the employee showing how easy it is after ten people had fallen off.



For people who wonder what the Roma girls are doing when they are not begging, here is the answer.



Children absolutely love this ride, and it doesn't seem to frighten any of them even though it goes really fast. (video later)







       

       





The total jumble of pop culture icons always fascinates me.

[Deleted]

There are a few little refuges of calm.



Yes, that's right: Love kills slowly.









Most of the towers are at least twice as high as in the old days.



People were harnassed up so that they could fly like Superman.









The Grande Roue de Paris (in the background) is just one of 4 Ferris wheels at the foire. It awaits its Christmas return to Place de la Concorde.

[Deleted]

Come as you are.







You can see the "mountain" at the Paris zoo in the distance.













This is for children who want to bounce around in the mouth of Krusty the Klown.













And finally Monsieur Frite bids me farewell.



If you want to see everything in motion, here it is. I kept the original sound because it is important to know what the auditory overload is like.

[bixaorellana]

What an absolute KNOCK-OUT of a thread!! You almost don't need the video, as the photos are so lively and convey such a sense of life and movement. I swear, well before reaching the bottom of the pics, I could hear that particular constant crescendo of fair noise and smell the greasy air. But the video is fabulous, too. I love how you interspersed crowd scenes, terrifying rides, and the charmingly childlike old-fashioned games. Gorgeously crisp video, as well.

Okay, one last compliment ~~ the pictures in this thread could easily constitute a stand-alone photo exhibit. Just wonderful.

[htmb]

Yes, I agree with Bixa. Your photographs are outstanding!

[Deleted]

Well, I know that both of you know what I went through to bring them back -- and who saw my photos even before I did!  

[htmb]

Idiots, that's who.
I hope they felt foolish inside.

[mossie]

You cannot win with the official mind.

A wonderful fairground set of pictures, really brings it to life.

[Carrie]

Lovely pictures! Can you speak to the price of rides? Is there a way to get unlimited rides for a child?

[Deleted]

There are one or two special days that apply a flat fee, but I think that usually you have to count 2 or 3 euros for the "basic" rides and a bit more for the more spectacular ones.

[kerouac2]

The years go by and it's the same old stuff!  (For some reason the video displays for me as the grey box of cancelled videos, but it plays perfectly if you click on the arrow.)

[kerouac2]

i.postimg.cc/BZpGCFJf/Trone-2019-020.jpg

i.postimg.cc/nrFfJFYW/Trone-2019-027.jpg

i.postimg.cc/j5QYmwNN/Trone-2019-028.jpg

i.postimg.cc/V6ccKBSm/Trone-2019-033.jpg

i.postimg.cc/5ysd9hs2/Trone-2019-043.jpg

i.postimg.cc/P5gGqzQY/Trone-2019-048.jpg

i.postimg.cc/2SbRmXhC/Trone-2019-052.jpg

[kerouac2]

i.postimg.cc/FFD2SQx9/Trone-2019-053.jpg

i.postimg.cc/PxM02GsQ/Trone-2019-056.jpg

i.postimg.cc/Gt7VnkpB/Trone-2019-071.jpg

i.postimg.cc/d3tpfWJP/Trone-2019-079.jpg

i.postimg.cc/zGRM4HYB/Trone-2019-084.jpg

And it's time to get the hell out of there.

i.postimg.cc/GpwNR3bj/Trone-2019-095.jpg

[bixaorellana]

Aaaarrrrgghhhh ~ France doesn't want Italy to know how much fun it's having, so the video is not available here. I'll have to wait until I'm back in Mexico to see it.

I think the Foire du Trône is one of the all time great treasuries of photo-ops and you certainly came out of there with some winners. I absolutely adore the 2nd from the bottom in reply #13, for instance.

[kerouac2]

I think I have managed to fix the video.

[kerouac2]

Every 5 years or so it is time to return, which I did last weekend just before this year's edition ended.

They propose training exercises for the future of Europe.



Of course there are the usual stress tests and obstacle courses.



You might encounter deranged creatures which must be confronted.



Centrifuge tests are also obligatory.





After the first training, it is time to visit the battlefield.



Vladimir Putain awaits you.

[kerouac2]

I'll get back to this, but I am currently blocked by a bug on the photo hosting site that I am using for the new elements of this report. So as compensation, I will just toss in the little video that I was saving for the end.

[kerouac2]

There is little chance of running out of condiments.

[kerouac2]

[kerouac2]

Totally failed artists can sometimes find work in these places.





Time to leave. There are plenty of security staff to keep zombies from trying to sneak in.

Anyway, it wasn't much on the last day, but it was sort of what I was expecting. Bumper cars used to be a major attraction and there would be at least four or five of them. This time I only saw one. The go-kart citcuits also used to be very popular. There would be at least two of them with long queues waiting for their turn. There were no go-karts this year. I imagine that fuel prices may have put an end to them, or maybe just the fact that the same target group has ubiquitous access to electric scooters. Maybe those are thrilling enough? I don't know.

Just outside of the Foire du Trône, the usual users of the Bois de Vincennes were totally ignoring their noisy neighbour.

And that's all for this year...

[bjd]

I'm always surprised that these fun fairs keep on going. Once a year at the local town "fête", there are a bunch of them with their giant trucks and trailers who set up the rides for a few days. They travel from place to place for months at a time. What do they do in the winter? How do they pay for those huge trucks and rides? I imagine it's a rather closed community that has been in the business for generations.

I just remembered that the year we bought the apartment in Paris on Fbg St Antoine, 1998, I was visiting it during a demonstration by forains because they were forced to move from Place de la Nation to where they are now. They thought it was too far away from the centre of the city.

The Parc de Vincennes looks nice.

[onlyMark]

There is a thing called Goose Fair in Nottingham that has loads of traveling fairs come together for one last bash before the end of the season. One of the largest in Europe and even when just open for a week or so has half a million visitors.
Unfortunately most of them seem to be pick pockets and scam artists.

[bixaorellana]

A treat yet again to go to the fair!

This never gets old and the photo-ops stay fresh and fun. I hope you're using that picture of the empty roller coaster as your screen saver. It deserves to be looked at over and over again.

Jun 3, 2023 5:24:03 GMT kerouac2 said:

Bumper cars used to be a major attraction and there would be at least four or five of them. This time I only saw one. The go-kart citcuits also used to be very popular. There would be at least two of them with long queues waiting for their turn. There were no go-karts this year.

I wonder if those rides just get used up and aren't being made anymore, so they don't get replaced. I'm surprised that bumper cars are dying out, as they seemed to appeal to all ages.
It's nice to see the fishing game for little kids hasn't gone away.

Jun 3, 2023 6:33:23 GMT bjd said:

I'm always surprised that these fun fairs keep on going.

Perhaps the big fairs make enough during the season to get them through the rest of the year? It's such a big deal that people must be drawn to them, eager to go before they close down for the year. In Mexico it's quite obviously a year-round enterprise, as there is always a town somewhere celebrating its patron saint along with all the other special days which demand rides and food and game booths. These are on a smaller scale, so easier to store and to move.

Jun 3, 2023 9:51:21 GMT onlyMark said:

There is a thing called Goose Fair in Nottingham that has loads of traveling fairs come together for one last bash before the end of the season.

Isn't that one of the fairs that has been in existence since the middle ages?

Kerouac, that last photo evokes scenes the Impressionists captured on canvas in their time.

[onlyMark]

Officially since 1284 by Royal Charter but known before then - "It is associated with the sale of 20,000 geese which were driven from the Lincolnshire fens to be sold in Nottingham to provide the traditional Michaelmas dish, which is believed to bring luck for the next year.

As well as the Fair being famous for the sale of Geese, it was known for its autumn trade and enjoyed a reputation for its high-quality cheese. In 1764 there was a cheese riot due to an increase of a third on the price of cheese compared with the previous year. Outraged punters ransacked the stalls and huge cheeses were rolled down the slopes of Wheeler Gate and Peck Lane. The Mayor’s attempts to calm things down resulted in his dignity being flattened by a 100lb cheese."

[bixaorellana]

Cheeeesus! What a whey to turn a nice day at the feta into an attack by muensters.

[onlyMark]

It was a Saga on a Blue Monday and the cheese was thrown by a Renegade Monk. The mayor didn't Harbourne a grudge as he only got a Little Wallop and was soon in Fine Fettle.

[mickthecactus]

Apparently he found his thrill on blue brie hill.

[bixaorellana]

You guys are too gouda for me!