It won’t be long before jugglers, magicians and other journeymen who have fallen out of time will populate the church square in Haar. The community wants to spice up the Christmas market and make it attractive to a larger audience as a medieval Christmas market. The town hall can count on the best possible support: Martin Angermeier has a local specialist who has years of experience in organizing medieval festivals. Angermeier already has 20 stand operators and a magician on hand who would take part. The local council decided to support the market on the third weekend in Advent with 15,000 euros.
From the point of view of the town hall, the Christmas market could do with revitalization after 42 years. Mayor Andreas Bukowski (CSU) has already presented the new concept to the clubs and traditional stand operators in Haar. One wants to “present itself once more nationwide as a culturally lively and diverse municipality”, it says from the town hall. For some, however, the idea of serving mead and lard bread with mulled wine and gingerbread was not so well received. The traditional Christmas market, assures the town hall, will therefore continue on the second weekend in Advent. The municipality has earmarked a further 17,000 euros for this.
After the mulled wine, a strong sip of mead: The people of Haar want to attract more visitors to the church square with a medieval Christmas market. Festival organizer Martin Angermeier should help.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
In any case, the medieval festival on Wieselweg, which Angermeier hosted for four years until the outbreak of the corona pandemic, is known nationwide. On the meadow in the hunting field, knights pitched their tents and demonstrated sword fights. A bit of this flair should pass over to the Christmas market. With all the magic, the Christkindl should not be forgotten. The living crib, which CSU councilor Alois Rath has been organizing for years at the Haarer Christkindlmarkt, should also be there. That fits perfectly, says Angermeier.
The preparations have progressed so far that the spectacle could take place this year. A residual uncertainty is still given by the fact that the corona situation could thwart the organizers. The municipality and Angermeier are looking forward to October 1st, when the state government updates the infection control measures ordinance. Should the restriction then fall that the sale, serving and consumption of alcoholic beverages is prohibited at parties with more than 1000 visitors, then the way would be free.
Alois Rath should be there again with the living nativity scene when the medieval Christmas market rises. That would be well integrated into the concept, they say.
(Photo: Claus Schunk)
The medieval flair should attract people. The stand operators should be disguised. Musicians with old instruments should perform. A storyteller is imaginable and a fire show. A medieval tent would be on the site that should extend to the town hall. Angermeier has close contact with many providers of such medieval campaigns. There could be a stage. And in any case, Angermeier’s ship swing would be there, where the swings look as if they were made by Vicky the Viking with his friends. Angermeier says the corona pandemic hit the medieval scene hard. Many stand operators have stopped and found other jobs. He does it on the side and is flexible. The medieval Christkindlmarkt could be a bridge so that something can be opened up again later on Wieselweg. He deliberately refrained from organizing the festival with a fence and admission controls there this year, says Angermeier. The effort would have been great. And: “It wouldn’t be what it was. We’d rather wait and then do it right.”
Angermeier thinks it is nice that the community would take on some of the organizational work at the Christmas market. The town hall also wants to try to involve the partner community in the Ahrntal in the event. How exactly this should look is unclear. After all, you are a hair a bit ahead of the real Middle Ages, as a mighty castle complex rises above Sand in Taufers in the Ahrntal valley.
The Haarer Medieval Christmas Market would take place on Saturday and Sunday, 11./12. December, take place. According to previous plans, the fun could go on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. According to Angermeier, a repetition is already being considered, but first of all you want to see how things are going this year.