The Sainte-Croix fair in Lessay, the most important in Normandy, will not take place, like other trade or agricultural fairs in the region elsewhere, but some are maintained. How to understand the situation?
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It began for several hundred years with a morning sale of horses, famous throughout the West. The Sainte-Croix agricultural fair in Lessay, in Manche, usually attracts more than 300,000 people in the space of 3 days. An annual business meeting, which also allows us to maintain social ties and meet again. It is also the most important fair in the region.
© FTV
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The prefecture of Manche has just rejected the file submitted by the municipality of Lessay, a file which took into account the health restrictions according to the mayor. Stéphanie Maubé also split a press release on her Facebook page to express her incomprehension – and her anger too.
This is obviously disappointing news for the municipality, which has been working for several months to comply with health constraints.
The file presented defended the idea of a small fair, which would have taken place from September 11 to 12, and respecting a tonnage of 5,000 people per day. Compared to the attendance of 100,000 people per day, the event would not have resembled, far from it, tradition.
The mayor denounces a lack of communication with the State services.
“The Prefecture was walled up in silence all summer despite our numerous requests for meetings: this raises the question of the importance of rural areas and small town halls in current policy. Pampered in official speeches, we would not be considered as real actors of the territory? “
For its part, the prefecture of La Manche, in a press release, notes that “several exchanges have taken place between the services of the prefecture and those of the municipality in recent weeks.”
press release from the Manche prefecture
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© Manche prefecture
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The State services reject the request for a double file formulated by the town hall: the first already mentioned, to accommodate 5,000 people at the Sainte-Croix fair, and a second for the funfair, the gauge of which has also been set at 5,000 people.
” In view of the defined perimeter and the organizational methods adopted, the agricultural fair and the funfair form a single gathering of 10,000 people. However, the prefect of La Manche does not plan to grant an exemption to the maximum level of 5,000 people set by the decree of July 10, 2020, to prevent any risk of the virus spreading.
In addition, in view of the usual participation, it is impossible to ensure the respect of barrier gestures and physical distancing, and to manage the influx of the public around the demonstrations..”
In Caen, an almost normal fair
In short, the Sainte-Croix fair will not take place. And during this time, dozens of workers are busy at the Caen exhibition center. The fair will be held from September 18 to 27. The commercial event, which will host 340 exhibitors, attracts an average of 100,000 people over 10 days.
“What confirmed the authorization of the prefecture is our ability to control this maximum tonnage of 5,000 people on the site ” estimates Paul Séchaud, CEO of Caen Evénement.
Moreover, certain days of the week, quieter, this gauge is not always reached in normal times.
rue du bagou of the fair of caen – archives France 3
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© FTV
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“The enclosed perimeter of the fair is easily secured with its five entrances. We will add a technical and human device that will allow us to know how much we are in terms of attendance“specifies Paul Séchaud. It will of course also be necessary to count on the wearing of the mask and the hydroalcoholic gel.
“We hope to experience an almost normal fair, and that the spirit of commerce and conviviality of the fair will be there..”
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