Paheja Siririka
WINDHOEK – Managing Director of Ohlthaver & List (O&L) leisure Norbert Wurm says the Oktoberfest is all about tradition in a diverse state that is Namibia.
“It is important to keep our tradition alive because in the modern world, tradition quickly diminishes and we need to keep it alive especially in Namibia where diversity is strong,” said Wurm.
He was speaking to Entertainment Now! at the just-ended 61st Oktoberfest 2019 which was held at the SKW Stadium.
He said there is a need to nurture and share traditions. “We need to learn from each other and this why you are seeing these funny dances, wood chopping, those are traditions we want to keep alive.”
Wurm, speaking in his capacity as one of the organising committee members, said this year’s Oktoberfest was different.
“Every year we try and make things different and better and the main big change from an entertainment
perspective was the Jägermeister Band that came from South Africa, they rock,” said Wurm.
Something else that was different was the inclusion of small and medium enterprises (SMEs). “This year we had a lot of SMEs doing food stalls, we wanted to include them in this year’s fest and the plan is to involve them more, ” assured Wurm.
But what makes the festival special is the family aspect. “The whole day is a family day where we do face paintings, bull riding, jumping castle, and later on at night, it becomes a matured set for older folks,” said Wurm.
He said the tagline for the Oktoberfest encompasses heritage, authenticity and purity. “It’s a German tradition with a Namibian flair,” he said.
Something noticeable at the entrance was the payment system that the organising team implemented this year. “It’s how it goes these days, in the past, it was a hectic venture, and you don’t want too much cash at the bar.”
How the system worked is that one buys a card at the event and tops it up with whatever amount one wishes but first one needs to deposit N$20 for activation. Whenever you want to buy something, the bartenders tap the card at the back of their swiping machine lookalike device to transact and you get to buy beverages, food and merchandise with each deduction coming from the amount you deposited.
The good thing is they were showing the remaining amount after each transaction for one to track spending, however, no pin is needed which means if you pick up a lost card, pray that it’s loaded with cash and you are set for their entire day. One could also cash out if there was leftover money upon exiting the event.