Winter Arrives In the Alps; Herbstmesse Makes Triumphant Return; Baslerstrasse Joins Construction-Party Hit List; Sneaker Fan Meetup

News For 24 October 2017

While we've been enjoying a relatively mild and sunny Autumn here in Basel, winter has already arrived in parts of Switzerland.  To the delight of skiers, up to 50 centimeters of snow fell in some peaks, bringing the snow line down to 1000 meters altitude by Monday morning.  According to Swiss automobile association TCS, mountain passes at Susten, Grimsel, Fluela, Furka, St. Gotthard and San Bernanrdino were all closed on Monday.  According to MeteoNews, mild, dry weather is expected to return again by mid-week.  

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This Saturday, the 28th of October, marks the beginning of Basel’s 547th annual Herbstmesse. This year, there will be a total of 31 new attractions, from rides to food to new market stands. One attraction should be especially popular: a big roller coaster named the Rock & Roller coaster. It will be at the Kaserne fairgrounds and it is the biggest roller coaster the Herbstmesse has hosted yet. It will cost 7 CHF to ride, which seems fair when you compare it to last year’s roller coaster, which cost the same but was only half as long.

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The Basel district council has allocated 46 million francs for the renovation and reconstruction of Baselerstrasse in Allschwil.  The main thoroughfare connecting Basel city center with Allschwil's town center, is also the conduit for the #6 tram line, and will be under construction from 2018 to 2020.  The goal of the project is to improve traffic flow and increase safety for pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists.  A portion of the funding is expected from the Swiss Federal government.

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Around 1000 sneaker fans made their way to Werk 8 for an event called “Sole Season” last Sunday. 60 vendors supplied around 3000 different pairs of sneakers for the third edition of the event. The whole event revolves around sneakers – buying, selling or just marveling at them. The sneaker scene is a bigger thing than a lot of people realize. They are especially popular with men, and all sorts of sneakers are represented, from a simple pair to an exclusive, celebrity designed or inspired pair for 1500 CHF.