In the dress rehearsal it worked out really well. Mayor Markus Böck (CSU) tapped a keg of Remonte-Bräu with four hits at the May Festival on Oberschleißheim’s Bürgerplatz. Of these, “two shots to be on the safe side,” as he says. And because the new Maypole was a beautiful place to celebrate, people believe they have set the necessary positive omens for the big event that is coming up this Wednesday, May 25: the Schleißheim folk festival. It is the first festival of this kind in the district of Munich after a two-year break caused by the corona pandemic. And the question of all questions is: are all the starved storming the festival tents now?
A number of signs indicate that the celebratory mood is high. The spring festival on Munich’s Theresienwiese was a hit, the marquees there were overcrowded. Oberschleißheim’s Mayor Böck has already experienced in Hallbergmoos that many people, after being forced to do without it for a long time, feel like chicken, beer and brass band music again. “It really got going. You could tell that people wanted to go out and party.”
This is how the organizers in Oberschleißheim want it to be for the five days up to Sunday, May 29th. It is a first in many respects: Markus Böck, as the newly elected mayor, has been in office for two years, but only now will he open the folk festival and tap the first barrel with one, two, three or, to be safe, four taps. And this one will be from the local Remonte brewery for the first time. The cooperative was founded just a few years ago. As early as 2020 there were talks about serving local beer at the folk festival. “We agreed relatively quickly that it was a matter of prestige,” says the mayor.
On Wednesday, the Schleissheim clubs will march again from the youth center on Jahnstraße to the festival site.
(Photo: Robert Haas)
Landlord Robert Schmidt is particularly excited about the upcoming days. Corona requirements for the marquee, for example, no longer exist. 1200 guests have space inside and 300 outside. His look at the weather app with the long-term forecast also made him hopeful. So things could really get going. For Schmidt it is the first folk festival of the post-Corona era and he doesn’t really know what to expect.
He only knew from stories that the spring fair in Landshut was well attended. In any case, there will be no average Wiesn in Oberschleißheim, Schmidt is convinced. “I’m sure we’ll be surprised, positively or negatively.” He is already wondering whether many are still afraid of corona or are looking at their wallets because of the current crises. Life has become expensive for many.
In any case, when it came to the price of the Mass beer, Schmidt stayed below the sound barrier of ten euros at 9.40 euros, although, as he says, it was difficult for him with the rising costs at all levels. He didn’t even factor in the inflation for the beer, which is why, strictly speaking, the mass has become cheaper, the landlord calculates.
For him, too, many things have become more expensive and complicated after the pandemic: staff is difficult to find, the chicken price in purchasing has risen three times in the past three weeks. There were also delivery bottlenecks. If he hadn’t ordered and stashed edible fats and oils early on, it could have been difficult to get the fries supply, he says.
Schmidt himself cannot believe how tight everything has become. Gas is available, a supplier explained to him, for example, says the innkeeper from Straubing; but there is a shortage of propane gas bottles. And you need them at a folk festival, not just to heat up the crickets.
But everything is prepared. Food and drink is guaranteed, the landlord has organized rides and stand owners. There will be a bumper car and a twister as well as two children’s carousels on the fairground on the aptly named Feierabendstrasse. In addition, a shooting range, a cheat stand and a fish frying shop. RSV Schleissheim and FC Phönix organized the entry of the clubs into the marquee.
The construction is underway, the program is complete with the entry of the clubs on Wednesday evening, the ritual at 6.15 p.m. and everything else on the following days: Seniors afternoon, authorities afternoon, day of the clubs with party on Saturday evening for the young people. The full program.
Roland Hefter comes to Oberschleißheim with his band Isarrider.
(Photo: Organizer)
Gaby Hohenberger hopes that people will come despite the current concerns and also visit the cultural program on Sunday, which costs admission. The municipality’s culture officer organized a concert with “Roland Hefter und Isarrider”, at which the tent was deliberately only to be occupied loosely in order to give those who still fear Corona a sense of security. Encountering others, a certain lightness – “You should treat yourself to that,” says Hohenberger. Mayor Böck adds: “You want to get back among people and chat again. That’s what everyone longs for.”
Willi Kranz from the Phönix board is confident that the marquee will not only be full on the opening night. “People want to party again, I’m sure.” At a big folk festival, the whole place finally comes together again. “There are small children who haven’t seen anything like this before.”