Wikipedia
The Schützenfest is a German cultural festival held annually in Adelaide, the capital of South Australia. Translated from German, it means ' Shooting Festival', though Adelaide's youth attend the event to drink beer.
South Australia experienced from its inception in 1836, a large migration of Germans, predominantly of Lutheran religion. They mostly migrated after 1838. In 1853, the Shooting Society was established and in 1861, the Shooting Party was established. In 1865 the German Club closed. With its closure, a picnic was organised in St Peters, Adelaide. The main activity of the picnic was shooting. Some 5000 Adelaideans attended the picnic.
Prior to the outbreak of World War I, numerous Schützenfests were held around Adelaide areas by the German Association, such as in Walkerville, Lobethal and Barossa Valley.
The festival was reinstated after World War II. It was held for many years in Hahndorf but is now held in the western Parklands. It is still a highly popular festival with the attendance being around 20,000 and festivities involve German food, beverages, dances and music. A shooting competition also occurs.
This event generally happens in the height of the Australian summer, and often results in people needing treatment for heatstroke, due to excessive sun exposure and alcohol consumption.
A marksmen's festival (German "Schützenfest") is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of both Germany and Switzerland.
At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on their shooting abilities, for example by shooting at a wooden representation of an eagle. The winner of the competition becomes the 'king of marksmen' ("Schützenkönig") until the next year's competition.
The commercially organized Schützenfest of Hanover, Germany, is the largest marksmen's funfair in the world with more than 5,000 marksmen, 250 rides and inns, 5 large beer tents and the "Marksmen's Parade". The parade with more than 10,000 participants from Germany and all over the world and more than 100 bands is 12 kilometres long. It is the longest parade in the world. The landmark of the funfair is the highest transportable Ferris wheel in the world. It is 60 metres high and can transport 420 people in 42 cabins.