German summer beckons racecourse

Vivek Jain,chairman of marketing,RWITC,says that the idea is to bring a bit of Germany to the racecourse. As for the hardcore racing enthusiasts there’s plenty of racing action as well. “There will be 16 races spread out over the weekend — seven on Saturday and nine on Sunday. The races on the second day are all sponsored by the IGCC.”

For Peter Deubet,deputy director general of the IGCC,it’s all about bringing Germany closer to India. “We want to give people in Mumbai a taste of what Germany feels like,” he explains. But as he says,it’s not just about horses and racing. “We also wanted to do something for the children in Mumbai. This is a city where areas of recreation for children are very restricted. So this weekend,we’re going to have a carnival with activities like tattoo painting,puppet show and magic show. There will also be workshops on various activities,from painting a plate that you can gift to your beloved one to learning how to recycle by painting on empty beer bottles.”

Of course,all fests should have their own gastronomical delights and at the German Summer fest one can expect a host of Teutonic delicacies. “We’re of course bringing three different kinds of beer from Germany and a special kind of beer called Wheat Beer. There will also be wine from our country’s best wine-producing region Rhineland. And for food,there is quite a large variety. We Germans love sausages of different kind. So they’ll be there and there will be German potato salad and also some snacks like Brezels,which are like salty cookies,” says Deubet.

The IGCC and the RWITC have also invited various NGOs like the National Association for the Blind,Bombay Natural History Society and Eco Corner to set up stalls and workshops at the racecourse. Deubet says,“We’re very proud to associate ourselves with these NGOs. We wanted to offer them a platform on which they can continue to carry on their good work. The proceeds from the fest will be equally divided among them.”