The corona pandemic always created new challenges.
But now one thing is certain: The Wolfratshausen River Festival will take place in July.
Wolfratshausen
- “It will be”: Marlene Schretzenmaier, city cultural manager in Wolfratshausen, is convinced of this with a view to the imminent river festival. Despite all the adversities of the Corona, the 31-year-old always remained optimistic. According to Plan A, she developed Plan B in April of this year. "But the planning is still very, very difficult, and new problems keep cropping up," said Schretzenmaier at the time. In the meantime, the infamous seven-day incidence in the district has fallen to a single-digit value, with more and more people being vaccinated at least once and many already twice. A few days ago, the city council's culture committee made the final decision: the river festival will take place on the old raft landing from July 9th to 25th.
We always had to readjust and check organizationally, does it work or not?
That really got on my nerves. "
Marlene Schretzenmaier, cultural manager of the city of Wolfratshausen
Schretzenmaier (at least her subconscious) has not yet internalized the good news 100 percent. “Only yesterday” she dreamed of the flooding of the old raft landing, she tells our newspaper and laughs. Opposite her is her colleague Andreas Kutter, who works in the town hall department for city marketing. The two are separated by a pane of glass, because after the outbreak of the pandemic in spring 2020 they decided to work in the office with maximum infection protection. This shortens the communication channels - and enables quick decisions that are required in these dynamic times. Months of fear and hope lie behind the duo. “We always had to readjust and check organizationally, does it work or not? That really got on my nerves, ”reports Schretzenmaier.
Suddenly all the telephones fell silent
With the corona pandemic came the great calm.
In the so-called Boodevaar tower on the western bank of the Loisach, where the employees of the city marketing department work, suddenly all the telephones fell silent.
No artist agencies, no more concert promoters called, and the electronic mailboxes remained empty from one day to the next.
Cultural life came to a complete standstill.
“It was spooky,” recalls the 31-year-old, who was given the office of cultural manager in autumn 2019 after Marion Klement said goodbye to the town hall.
Meanwhile, the smile lines have dispelled the worry lines.
Only freak weather could ruin the river festival.
Lightning, thunder and heavy rain, similar to the deluge that Schretzenmaier dreamed of.
"Yes, yes, it will," she wipes away her own concerns without further ado.
This year she is looking forward to a somewhat different river festival, a series of events with a slightly different atmosphere compared to its predecessors.
In any case, the festival after the outbreak of the corona pandemic will be a challenge for everyone involved.
First and foremost Schretzenmaier, who is responsible for the organization for the first time.
But with all due respect: She is no longer green behind the ears, from 2017 to 2019 she was already a major force in the Wolfratshauser Kulturamt.
After the river festival, it's time to go mountain biking
Once the task of the river festival has been mastered, the passionate mountain biker, who traveled to Central and South America for a year after completing her studies, gets on her bike. Schretzenmaier takes part in the four-day “Stoneman Miriquidi Trail” across the Ore Mountains. The route leads over nine peaks, 4400 meters of altitude need to be mastered. Mind you: with muscle power, without the support of an electric drive. The 160-kilometer tour requires strength, stamina and stamina. Everything the cultural manager needs for the two-week river festival with 18 individual events. Not to forget creativity: “How do you organize that 200 visitors want to strengthen themselves at the catering stand during the break? What hygiene measures have to be organized for the Dixi toilets? ”Schretzenmaier points out.
Advance ticket sales have picked up speed after the weeks of uncertainty.
Some events are already as good as sold out, the cultural manager is pleased to note.
In the coming days the stage is expected in Wolfratshausen, which will be anchored on the Loisach, in front of the old raft landing.
The bottom line is that 41 helpers will be on site to look after the visitors.
Schretzemaier: "Yes, everything will be fine." Hopefully the cultural manager will no longer be plagued by floods in her dreams.
(web / cce)
Information on the Internet:
River Festival program and advance ticket sales at www.flussfestival.de.
