Giant fondue in Geneva

August 1, 2009. During the Fetes de Geneve, on a ‘Swiss Night’ in honor of the Swiss National Day, fondue made from 500 kilos of Gruyeres and Vacherin fribourgeois and 170 liters of Geneva wine will be prepared on the Mont-Blanc bridge, which will be entirely closed to traffic from 8 p.m.

The bridge starts closing down to traffic at 6 p.m., when some 30 cooks begin preparations around three huge fondue pots. Their handywork will yield supper for 3,000 people, whose portion of fondue will be served inside a special bread called a ‘baton du Gruyerien’ (after the chain of Gruyerien restaurants in Geneva - the operation charged with the getting the giant fondue project up and running).

There will be tables and benches set up on the bridge to eat,  although some participants may wish to wander over to the Jardin Anglais and catch well-known Swiss musicians playing at the Scene des Clubs (from 8 p.m.).

At 11 p.m. there will be a 15-minute red and white firework display followed by a massive bonfire on a platform in the lake to the sound of alphorns played from the lateen sail boat Neptune.

While the 10-franc tickets entitling you to some fondue will be on sale on Mont Blanc bridge on the night, it might be better to buy them ahead. They go on sale from July 30 at Geneva Tourism (18 rue du Mont Blanc) and the Fetes de Geneve info stand (Jardin Anglais).

Other food highlights of the 10-day Fetes (July 30 through August 9) - and the run-up to it which begins on July 16 with a round of concerts - include a stand (Espace OPAGE) featuring Geneva’s food specialties and five ‘official’ Fetes wines (see list below).

During the Fetes proper, some 150 other food stands will be serving world cuisines: French, Italian, Scandinavian, Russian, Creole, Mexican, Chilean, Brazilian, Indian, Thai, Chinese, a number of different African cuisines, and Middle-Eastern.

Omani specialties can be tasted in the Oman Village (Jardin Anglais); the Sultanate of Oman is this year’s Guest of Honor.

A food-related and very popular event - the race of uniformed waitstaff from local restaurants competing to see who can walk a set distance fastest without spilling anything on their tray of full glasses and bottles - will be held on August 9 on Quai Gustave Ador (starts 4 p.m.)

This year’s official Fetes wines are:

Whites: Chasselas 2008, Domaine des Grands Buissons, Sezenove, and Chardonnay 2008 ‘La Chevre’, Cave de Beauvent, Bernex

Rosé:  Rosé de Gamaz 2008, Domaine des Curiades, Lully (Bernex)

Reds: Gamay 2008, Domaine les Faunes, Dardagny, and Pinot Noir 2008, Domaine des Curiades, Lully (Bernex)

Go to www.fetesdegeneve.ch for more information about the whole event. Organizers are also spreading the word that in view of a rising trend towards drunkenness and violence observed again at last year’s Fetes, a number of preemptive measures have been taken this year to discourage both.