Commonly cited as the "largest party in Europe" (though it actually comes in close second to Berlin's Love Parade), Zürich's Street Parade started in 1992 with just 1,000 participants. Since 2001, attendance has hovered near a million participants per year. This year's party will open at 1:00 PM on Saturday, August 8, is expected to continue the trend of popularity in spite of the global recession. Though the technoparade itself will officially end at midnight, many of the rave parties at local arenas will continue all night and into Sunday morning.
Nearly one million people from every corner of the world will converge on Zürich's historic center, following the same 2.4 km path as the 2008 event, beginning at 3:15 PM at Utoquai, located in Seefeld. The procession will continue along the lakefront, hitting Bellevue, Quaibrücke, and Bürkliplatz, commencing around 20:00 at Hafendam Edge. Though the daytime Street Parade is officially free, donations are accepted and encouraged to ensure the continuity of the festival over time.

Afterparties will be held at various venues throughout Zürich, with world-renowned DJ Paul Van Dyk spinning at Bürkliplatz from 23:00, Jerome Isma-Ae at Kongresshaus from 22:30, Johnny Roxx and Bildstörung at Limmatquai and Daniel König and Tom Novy at Bellevue. Additional events may be announced in advance of the event. As many afterparties require advance purchase tickets, it is adviseable to contact venues for specific information.

Though the use of drugs at Street Parade is officially discouraged, it occurs en masse at many of afterparties. Be warned, though: if drugs are found on your person or in your bag as you attempt to enter one of the arenas, they will be confiscated. In some cases, you may not even be able to enter a given venue.

A definite excursion from the sleepy high of Austin's own Reggae Fest and ACL, Street Parade is a must-attend for any party-saavy Central Texan. To that end, Zürich can be easily reached by a number of airlines from Austin, including American Airlines via JFK, Delta via Atlanta, and Continental via Newark. As usual, stay tuned to the Austin International Travel Examiner for any updates on Street Parade 2009 and any news or information related to international travel. Tschuss!