Craft fever for the HayART Festival
This year’s HayART Festival in Abtenau is already in the starting blocks, everyone is already looking forward to the event in the Bauernherbst in SalzburgerLand! It’s hard to believe that every year new ideas are created and such great hay figures are made! Many clubs and businesses have decided to participate in this year’s HayART parade.
Many hands quick end…
A few years ago, to be more precise 2012, I myself have already participated in a hay figure and tinkered diligently. Very interesting how such a hay artwork is created – from the scaffolding to the last little flower that still decorates the figure on the day of the feast.
I’m already excited to see which hay figures will be presented at the HayART Festival in Abtenau on September 3. Last week I leafed through the HeuART magazine at home and read in Werner Lanner’s interview that the Schnalzergruppe Abtenau is designing a “Victoria Carriage”. The Victoria carriage goes back to the famous English carriage maker Cooper, who is said to have created this type of carriage in 1869 on the occasion of the entry of the British Queen Victoria and the Prince of Wales. Curiosity won out, so I immediately signed up for the next craft meeting 😉
Tinkering is done at Franz Essl vulgo Käferpoint-Bauer, who provides not only the pitch but also the hay. The club members are already busy working and have their hands full. The hayhorse that will pull the Victoria carriage is as good as ready and also the carriage is already easily recognizable. 10 evenings the altogether 38 members of the Schnalzergruppe will meet, tells HeuART chairwoman Anita Höll, which supports the Abtenauer Schnalzer with its work of art. Anita gives the hay artists numerous tips on how it looks best!
“The tinkering is already a certain art – that’s why we’re called hay artists!” Peter points out to me!
Werner Höll, coachman and also pioneer of the association, explains to me what a Victoria carriage is all about. The rear, comfortable seat of the Victoria carriage has a backrest with a folding roof, where the farmers sit. Whereas the seat opposite is only meant as an emergency seat and also has no roofing. In the Lammer Valley, this type of carriage was very common, because the Bauersleut’ drove to church with it.”
EVENT TIP: The original Victoria carriage can be viewed at the 10th Historic Horse-drawn Carriage Gala on May 27, 2018.
Right in the middle instead of just being there!
Already in 2006, the Schnalzergruppe was present at the festival for the first time with a hay figure – two hay horses were presented, framed with the whip sounds of the then young Schnalzer, who now belong to the best Schnalzer of the group. The group must have tasted blood at that time, because from then on there was a new hay figure at every parade in Abtenau. The absolute highlight was in 2009, when Werner dressed up as Noah and led the approximately ten-meter-long ark through the parade with his four-horse harness. This particular heufigure can really be remembered by everyone!!!
In 2012 they designed a painter and now in 2017 the Victoria carriage with a single harness hayhorse. Why this carriage? Quite simply, so that the present Jungschnalzer are set in the best way in scene, revealed to me Josef Pranieß, chairman and with its company CNC and manufacturing technology also this year sponsor of the hay figure.
The other clubs and farms are also already in hayART fever! Whether in garages, stables, huts and in the threshing floor, everywhere is tinkering and building! We can really look forward to a colorful variety of hay figures already!
Colorful hustle and bustle in the hayART week!
All kinds of events, hikes and musical treats are offered during the HayART week! I’m especially looking forward to the HeuART nostalgia movie night on Tuesday, August 29 at Gasthof zum Schiff. Old pictures and a film from the 1950s, 60s and 70s will be shown on a screen. Old promotional material from the past was brought out of the archives!
On the weekend it’s called 3-days-awake 😉 Friday to the “Heustadl-Party”, Saturday to the Meissnitzer-Band and Sunday to the HeuART parade…that will be a fun weekend again 🙂
The exact program and all information about the HeuART festival can be found on the official HeuART page or on the homepage of the Abtenau Tourism Association.