The Maritime Festival, in the year 1992...
Join us for a 4-days of good times in celebration of the sea...
In 1992, I was a wee lad, and Meripäivät was something Not To Be Missed. Back then, all the action happened in the heart of the town, and there really was a festival going on. I particularly enjoyed the salesbooths, in which all kinds of meaningless junk could be bought at ridiculous prices. You know, the kind of stuff that seems really cool at the moment, but seems just silly in two days. The legendary Beer Tents were still located in the town square, and we had a blast watching all the drunks tripping over their feet and generally just embarass themselves. The sun always shone brighter, and we were enjoying the last good days of summer, before schools started again. It was pure magic.
The Maritime Festival, in the year 2001...
Bring us your money, and for God's sakes don't have too much fun. People are trying to sleep...
Now that I'm an angry young cynic, things don't look too bright anymore. Apparently some smart-ass individual (or perhaps it was a committee) decided that moving all the drunken people to the proximity of the sea would be a really good thing to do. I'm still amazed no one has drowned yet, but it's just a matter of time. For the first few years after the festival was moved to the harbour, they charged an admission fee for entering the area. The younger populace objected to this, and got hideously drunk in a park located in the old festival area. A tradition that continues to this day. The stuff they sell in the booths doesn't seem cool even when you're drunk. All the fun is gone.
What the fuck did they do to my festival!
Perhaps it's just me, but I just can't seem to enjoy the Maritime Festival anymore. My buddies boozed their way through it this year, and had no objections, so I guess I'm the one to blame. Since I don't enjoy boozing all that much, it just sucks for me.