The Dachau Volksfest is canceled this year - because of Corona. At the planned kick-off, a kick-off took place on the festival meadow.
Dachau / Machtenstein - Normally, the Hartl Done would have got up last Saturday morning at 4 a.m. and would have ensured that the beer would be on the Ludwig-Thoma-Wiese in Dachau on time for the start of the festival.
Because nothing is normal this year, Machtensteiner didn't have to get up that early on Saturday. And instead of the mayor or the district administrator, this year the Done himself was allowed to tap the barrel of Thoma beer that was specially carted to the fairground.
The Done has been a beer coach for 28 years
However, Hartl has earned this honor. For 28 years now, he has been responsible as the “beer coachman” for the initial stocking of drinks and also for the many subsequent deliveries. Both the large beer tent and the four small beer tents got their deliveries every day. From a purely mathematical point of view, Hartl was on duty for the folk festival over the years for a total of 420 days and worked with a total of 20 festival hosts.
In order not to miss the festival entirely, Done Hartl and a couple of friends had the idea to sit on the Ludwig-Thoma-Wiese on Saturday - punctually in terms of schedule - at the previously planned start of the festival and treat themselves to a beer. The 200-liter beer keg was transported almost in style on a small John Deere vehicle. Before that, there was a white sausage breakfast in front of the town hall in Dachau. With brass music and some people in traditional costumes who were also up there, they met for the “folk festival memorial procession” that followed. The paths parted when the Hartl Done and his people then turned onto the Oktoberfest, while the others marched on into the city cellar.
Did only the beer coach and his friends find the right path? Not quite! Occasionally, a few people later came with a beer table under their arm who had a similar idea that you should enjoy a well-tended beer on the festival meadow on that very day. It was really good with the Machtensteiners, who even had their own music with them, at which Josef Böller officially welcomed all guests and opened a somewhat different “Wiesn” with a short speech.
The keg only got one hit from the Hartl Done, nothing splashed, and with the meal there was traditionally crispy chicken with a large pretzel. Almost as one has always been used to from all the past years - only this year there were enough free places and without a reservation ...
Roswitha Höltl