Mons | Every Saturday evening, departure from the Grand-Place. The roller parade is out again

The roller parade will be in its 3rd edition this summer. Eight cities are participating, including Brussels, Huy, Namur, Ostend, and Ghent. In Mons, it is the second year that Carl de Moncharline, the organizer, invites inline skating enthusiasts to take part in this great festive, family-friendly, and free ride that will travel 20 km through the city's streets. The meeting is set for every Saturday, from July 3rd to August 28th (except August 7th) on the Grand-Place. First at 7 p.m. for the warm-up before the procession starts at 8 p.m. (the return is scheduled for 11 p.m. at the Grand-Place). This is one hour earlier than last year, explains Carl de Moncharline, in order to enjoy the beautiful summer light. The other change concerns the itinerary, which will leave the inner ring and its tunnels (considered too fast for beginners) for the inner boulevards. The police (21 officers on skates) will supervise the roller parade like last year. It is one of the rare occasions for the police to show a less repressive side, says Commissioner Sarlet. All the officers taking part in the roller parade are volunteers who agree to train twice a week. They do it voluntarily, in their free time. The police and organizers insist on safety. Wearing all protections (wrist guards, elbow pads, knee pads, helmet) is mandatory for children and strongly recommended for adults. To deal with minor injuries (in Brussels, out of over a thousand participants, about forty get slightly injured; four or five end up in the hospital), a team of first-aiders on skates supervises the ride. And two ambulances follow the procession just in case... Breaks and refreshments are organized at regular intervals. The organizer, who covered 800 kilometers last year (and lost 5 kilos in the process), also believes that the Mons parade is one of the most convivial in the country. This largely compensates, in his eyes, for the average participation rate (between 200 and 250 participants each Saturday of the previous edition). Info at [coordonnées retirées] or www.belgiumrollers.com. Possibility to rent skates and protections on the same evening.