As of: January 20, 2024, 11:00 a.m
By: Henry Dinger
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Today's boss Andi Wagner and his predecessor Peter Lex opened the anniversary jam with a symbolic ribbon cutting (front M, from left).
© Fraternity
For 20 years, the Pastetten boys have been creating a party atmosphere with their Winter Jam - in the region and far beyond.
Pastetten – The Winter Jam, which celebrated its anniversary under the motto “20 years of madness – and no end in sight”, is an integral part of the Pastetten event calendar.
“It was gigantic,” says boys’ boss Andi Wagner, “the people ran into our place.”
This refers to the community's building yard, expanded with a tent.
That got bigger and bigger over the years: “This year we had three entrances to make things go faster,” says Wagner.
The beginnings of Winter Jam 20 years ago were anything but exciting.
“At the end of the 90s we had the 'High Live' party in various halls in Dürnberg,” remembers Peter Lex, then chairman of the boys.
Since that was no longer possible, the idea was born to move into the newly built building yard.
Lex submitted an application to the local council, which, after a long discussion, agreed with an extremely narrow majority to let the boys use the hall for the “High Live 2000” event.
“It was a complete success,” says Lex.
Plans to continue this a year later were put on hold by September 11, 2001.
Shortly after the attacks, no one was in a celebratory mood.
“We stopped in 2002,” says Lex. It is primarily thanks to his commitment that the first Winter Jam was approved in 2003, back then in February and as a carnival party.
“We also wanted to offer the children something, so we had a children's disco on Saturday afternoon.” Since then, this has also become a tradition: the boys make the hall available and donate drinks and food, and the parents' council takes care of the organization.
The first Winter Jam in 2003 was a huge success, the room was packed, “we closed at 10 p.m.,” says Lex. The boys donated part of the proceeds to local social causes, which is how it continues to this day.
Over the years, the concept has been adapted again and again.
The event soon moved from February to January and has since become the first party of the year in the region.
The children's disco takes place on Fridays.
When organizing the event, the boys always try to keep up with the times.
In 2003 and 2004 there were disco parties on two days, where it was busier on Friday than on Saturday.
“From 2005 onwards we had a live band on Saturdays, and there was hardly anyone coming in,” says Lex. It stayed that way for many years until the younger generation got going at 90s and themed parties.
“For next time we’ll think about what might be in demand,” says Wagner, who has headed the boys since 2017, with a wink.
For the 20th Winter Jam, a two-story stage was built in the Pastettener Bauhof.
On the first floor, the DJ and two dancers heated up the audience.
© Fraternity
The party room itself was also changed again and again.
The boys are proud of their self-created bar, which protrudes into the room like a headland and offers space on all sides.
There was also an innovation this year: the stage was built on two floors, so that there was space for the DJ and two dancers in the upper area - a reminiscence of the first “High Live” festivals.
According to Lex, the Jam also has a good reputation with the authorities and the cooperation with the district office runs smoothly.
This is also due to the professional organization: “We had security from the start and paid attention to the protection of minors.
We were the first to have different colored wristbands.” It is unavoidable that at an event of this size – the party guests come from as far away as Austria – someone will always fall out of character.
“Fortunately there were never any major incidents.”
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With the success, the tasks also grew.
At the beginning of the 2000s, a good two dozen people prepared the construction yard, today there are up to 100 helpers from the ranks of the boys and dirndls who are not only needed at the entrance, at the cloakroom and at the food and drink counters, but also from On Thursday, the contents of the hall were loaded onto trailers and some of them were stored in the surrounding area.
Everything will be cleared back from Sunday lunchtime to evening.
Lex and Wagner remember a few things from the last two decades with a smile.
There used to be a ride home service that was discontinued for organizational reasons.
Likewise the attempt at a live broadcast: “At least 300 or 400 people watched, and that was back in the days of ISDN,” says Lex.