Chestnuts for gummy bears this weekend Everything you need to know about the Haribo chestnut swap
Grafschaft · Every year, thousands of people bring tons of chestnuts and acorns to Haribo's chestnut campaign. They come with wagons, buckets and wheelbarrows. Here is what to know about the Haribo chestnut swap for 2023.
Autumn is here and that means it’s time for collecting acorns and sweet chestnuts. Haribo will be holding its annual chestnuts for sweets exchange on Friday and Saturday. Those who bring in acorns and chestnuts will get gummy bears in return. The more you collect, the bigger the reward. But there is an upper limit as to what you get in return.
What exactly is the “chestnut campaign”?
The so-called chestnut campaign is a tradition, having been around for 85 years. Those who have collected chestnuts and acorns can bring them in to Haribo and receive sweets in return. Haribo will also have painting and craft stations to entertain children. In 2022, there were activities for children including a Gold Bear Wheel of Fortune, Gold Bear Skittles and a handicraft and painting workshop.
What happens to the collected chestnuts?
The company distributes the collected chestnuts to various wildlife parks in Germany and Austria. The animal parks dry the nuts and use them as supplementary feed over the winter.
When and where will the chestnut campaign take place?
The exchange will take place on October 20 and 21 from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. The collection point is located at the Haribo site in Grafschaft: Dr.-Hans-und-Paul-Riegel-Str. 1, 53501 Grafschaft.
How many sweets does one get for the chestnuts and acorns?
For ten kilograms of chestnuts, you get one kilogram of gummy bears. It’s a little different for acorns: the exchange rate is one kilogram of Haribo sweets for five kilograms of acorns. Those who participate should note that Haribo only accepts chestnuts and acorns without husks. Chestnuts and acorns should also be separated from each other for the purpose of weighing.
To ensure that there are enough sweets for all collectors, Haribo limits the maximum weight to 50 kilograms of chestnuts and acorns per person. When weighing, Haribo employees round up to the next highest number.
Haribo asks visitors keep in mind that they will need to transport the chestnuts from the parking lot to the collection site. In past years, wheelbarrows, buckets and wagons have proven to be useful.
What Haribo products are available at the swap?
For the chestnuts and acorns, the collectors receive pre-packaged mixed sweets. As Haribo states on its website, the packing of the sweets involves a lot of time and personnel. No special requests can be accommodated on collection day.
What should be considered when storing chestnuts and acorns?
Chestnuts and acorns must not be allowed to mold, otherwise the game reserves will not be able to use them for feeding the wildlife. It is important to keep them stored in in a cool, dry and dark place.
How long is the wait at the chestnut exchange?
In recent years, around 10,000 chestnut collectors have taken part in the campaign each year. Every year around 200 tons of chestnuts and 70 tons of acorns are collected. Because there are so many visitors, the company advises on its website that the waiting time can be long. In 2022, visitors sometimes had to wait up to three and a half hours.
Getting there
According to the organizers, there is sufficient parking space for the event on the company's premises. From Bonn, motorists can easily reach the campaign site by taking the A565 in the direction of Koblenz. At Meckenheim, motorists should continue on the A61 towards Koblenz. From the junction at Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler, one continues in the direction of Grafschaft-Ringen to Haribo.
It is also possible to travel by bus: while the chestnut swap is on, the bus stop at the "Ringen Haribo" station will be relocated, but the route will remain the same.
(Orig. text: Wiebke Elges; Translation: ck)
