At the heart of the traditional funfair is a yellow plum-like fruit called 'Dueder,' which, according to folklore, happens to only grow in vineyards just a few hundred metres away from the village.
Since 1977, the Wellenstein trade union has been organising the 'Welleschter Kiermes,' a traditional funfair that has grown in popularity far beyond the village. The star of the show is a fruit called 'Duerderen' or a reine-claude plum (also known as greengage plums) which is prepared and celebrated in a variety of ways at the fair.
"I once had an elderly neighbour who told me that Duerderen only grow in Wellenstein. At the funfair, which we then also called the Duerderen funfair, you can try the Duerderen brandy which can't be found anywhere else," explained Bernd Weber, who has been involved in the organisation of the fair since the inception of the Wellenstein trade union. According to Weber, Wellenstein is the only place where Duederen trees have grown all on their own.
The fruit, which looks like the yolk of an egg, is called 'Dueder' which translated to yolk in Luxembourgish.
One of the main motivations for the organisers is upholding tradition. "The Duederen are a symbol of tradition and with this strong belief, we had the idea to grow an orchard. Thanks to the municipality, we received a small piece of land," explained Jackie Reiffers, who has been working in the board of the trade union since 2010. The orchard project has been going strong for the last four years.
This beloved fruit, long celebrated in the village, took centre stage once again, drawing residents and visitors alike to Sunday's funfair. As is customary along the Moselle, much of the local activities revolve around wine, but visitors can also find the famed plums, for example, in the form of a plum tart.
The festival would not have been possible without the dedicated efforts of volunteers. "I'm always happy to help. I've been coming here since I was very little. It's great to engage in traditions and see everyone at the fair. Everyone from the entire village comes here," says Lily Hobscheid, who volunteers with the trade union. Giacomo Sanna agrees, "It's a pleasure to help out. A trade union can't handle it alone. That's why we, the clubs and associations, are here to lend a hand."
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Through a joint effort, organisers and volunteers ensure the well-being of visitors, while the Wellenstein musical group takes care of the entertainment. The Wellenstein musical group has been involved in the fair almost from the very beginning. "Our first concert was in 1897 at the fair here by the church. There wasn't much else back then but the musical group and the fair sort of evolved together. And slowly we grew, and now we get to play a concert here with the trade union," says Josiane Schons, Vice President of the Wellenstein musical group. Like every year, this year is no different.
People will get to enjoy the music all through Sunday evening, and the festivities shall continue in Wellenstein on Monday.
