‘Bogan behaviour keeps stuffing up good events’ | Elizabeth Henson
This bogan behaviour is what killed off Sea and Vines and countless other once great South Australian events, writes Elizabeth Henson.
On a beautiful spring day in the Barossa, a middle-aged woman sat on a park bench and urinated.
In public. And in full view of a packed dance floor just metres away.
And her excuse for this gross act?
The plants “needed watering,” she shamelessly told shocked onlookers.
Aside from the fact that concentrated urine can apparently be harmful to plants (I Googled it), there wasn’t actually any greenery in the vicinity of her spray.
And in fact, her pee just pooled on the pavers underneath the seat.
This occurred at the Barossa Beer and Cider Festival last weekend – an event that had quite a few toilets available, by the way. And as far as I’m aware, no one else felt the urge to pee in public.
I (thankfully) didn’t see the incident myself but learnt about it when my toddler ran towards the bench and a lovely woman rushed over to tell me what had happened so I could quickly stop my daughter touching the tainted furniture.
The good Samaritan dutifully guarded the chair and steered patrons away from it, pointing to the patch of liquid on the ground as evidence of the horror that had just unfolded.
The culprit, meanwhile, was now sitting on a bale of hay in front of the stage, carrying on with her day.
Let me say at the outset that the festival was a fabulous event. I’d never been before and I would happily go again.
Aside from Park Bench Pee-er, who looked to be in her 50s maybe, everyone else was in high spirits and well behaved.
There were, of course, a few people who looked a bit worse for wear by the end of it but they were harmless. It was a good day out.
However at one point, Sea and Vines Festival at McLaren Vale was a fantastic event as well. So was Barossa Gourmet Weekend.
And the Norwood Food and Wine Festival was also great.
And they were all axed, largely in part, due to anti-social behaviour.
Sea and Vines had been running for 27 years when organisers pulled the pin after the 2019 event was marred by poor behaviour and public urination.
The long-running Barossa Gourmet Weekend, which had a growing reputation for unruly patrons, died that year as well.
Bogan behaviour keeps stuffing up good events.
Things start out with a rogue pee here, a random vomit there, and then all of a sudden, isolated incidents become commonplace and events get a reputation for rowdiness.
Eventually organisers understandably say “stuff this, we’re done!”
We have a second chance with the Norwood Food and Wine Festival.
This week it was announced the suburban festival will be making a comeback as part of the AFL Gather Round in April next year. Let’s not muck it up.
If successful, maybe Sea and Vines and Barossa Gourmet might be inspired to also return.
We’ve all done silly things after having a few drinks, however if foolishness must happen, it’s best contained to house parties, paddocks and youth. Not public events. It ruins it for the rest of us.
But if you really can’t help yourself, take a leaf out of my daughter’s book … wear a nappy.
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