Search for an alternative event is underway - the future of the Penzberger Wiesn is uncertain
Created: 07/16/2022, 10:00 am
By: Franziska Seliger
The Penzberg folk festival was canceled due to a lack of staff.
The town hall is currently looking for alternatives - with an uncertain outcome.
© Rudder/A
Festwirt Christian Fahrenschon describes the surprising cancellation of the Penzberg folk festival as a "big setback".
Meanwhile, the search for an alternative event in the city is in full swing.
Penzberg – Due to an acute lack of staff, the Penzberg folk festival, which should have taken place at the end of August on the Berghalde, was canceled at short notice.
The city of Penzberg and the Festwirt couple Fahrenschon announced on Thursday that it was cancelled.
A day later, festival host Christian Fahrenschon was visibly disappointed with the cancellation in an interview with the local newspaper.
For him, it means a "big setback," says Fahrenschon, because: "For me, Penzberg is actually my best annual event." Despite some disagreements between him and the city in the past, they have now pulled themselves together again and work well together.
He and his fellow showmen, "we feel very comfortable in Penzberg".
He has been coming to the former mining town for around 40 years now.
The fact that the folk festival could not take place due to a lack of staff "has never happened before".
"Serious staff shortage" in the hospitality industry
But although he noticeably regrets the cancellation, Fahrenschon also makes it clear that there was no other option.
There is currently a “serious shortage of staff” everywhere in the hotel and catering industry.
Before the pandemic, there were sufficient staff.
"Now it's just not there anymore.
Nobody knows where it went.”
In order to be able to carry out the Penzberger Volksfest, he would need 50 waitresses alone - but he would certainly have agreed to only ten.
In addition, several employees in the kitchen were absent due to illness.
"And there are no temporary workers or security guards either," said Fahrenschon.
Since numerous other major events are taking place parallel to the Penzberger Wiesn - such as the Rosenheim Autumn Festival - and many celebrations that have been postponed due to Corona are now being made up for, it has not been possible to find enough staff for Penzberg.
In mid-October it would be too cold on the Berghalde for a folk festival
An attempt was made to find an alternative date – but in vain.
According to Fahrenschon, it was not possible to bring the festival forward because the potential staff had already signed contracts for other events.
Holding the Penzberger Wiesn in September is also not possible because of the Oktoberfest in Munich.
"And in mid-October it's already too cold on the Berghalde," says Fahrenschon.
In principle, the festival could have been moved to the city.
But such a thing is not wanted in Penzberg for reasons of noise protection, criticizes Fahrenschon.
This was shown in the discussion during the pandemic when people were looking for an alternative to a folk festival.
Fahrenschon emphasizes that he cannot understand why a festival in the city of Penzberg is not possible.
Since the cancellation of the folk festival became known, the town hall has been looking for alternatives, as Mayor Stefan Korpan said when asked.
"Of course we'll think about it," assures Korpan.
What will come out of these considerations is currently still completely open.
A kind of "summer fairy tale" would be conceivable, for example, Korpan gives an example.
The city is already in talks for an alternative event
He does not have another landlord who can hold the Penzberger Wiesn.
In the meantime, however, he has had numerous telephone calls and initial personal conversations with people who have experience with similar major events.
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In the next few days, some of them wanted to think about whether an alternative event could be held at all given the short preparation time and what it might look like.
"Early next week," said Korpan, he could say more about that.
Festwirt Fahrenschon, meanwhile, would like to organize another Wiesn on the Berghalde next year.
But: "You have to see how the overall situation develops," says Fahrenschon, referring to the Ukraine war with its effects on energy and food prices.
In addition, there would be an increasing number of administrative regulations.
"They are getting more and more serious" and made life difficult for him as a landlord.
