The Indo-German Chamber of Commerce (IGCC) has ensured that the first two days of December wear a festive look and usher in Christmas at the Mahalaxmi Race Course. An elaborately planned Carnival week-end will blend with the Mumbai races in what promises to be an entertaining Saturday and Sunday for everyone in the family. Addressing the Media, Mr. Bernhard Steinruecke, Director General, IGCC, said, “It all started last year which was our 50th anniversary. Our motto was ’50 years and Racing ahead’ and what better platform than the race course?” Encouraged by the huge success of their event last year, the IGCC has added a lot of novelties to make the week-end an exciting one for the ‘seriously racing’ sect; a thoroughly enjoyable one for the minors, a fashionable and potentially a weekend for Christmas Shopping for the ladies. From the racing point of view, all eight races have been sponsored by the IGCC and their associates. Cumulative Prize money on offer will be about Rs 25 lakh. The associate sponsors would include big names like Lufthansa, ERGO Insurance Group, Deutsche Welle TV, BASF, Panalpina, Audi, and Auto Expo 2008. Explaining the programme for the week-end, Peter Duebet, Deputy Director General, IGCC, said, “We have a variety of activities on offer; a separate Children’s Area will enthral the youngsters with puppet shows, magic shows, soccer and other sporting activities. A special surprise will be the appearance of Santa himself! A shopping area for Christmas gifs, handicrafts, stationary, gemstones, jewellery and home décor products will have a wide range of choices. We attempt to make it a fun filled Carnival for everyone to enjoy.” The festivities will open at the Members’ Lawns during the afternoon of Saturday. The gaming and other activities will be open as early as 11 am on Sunday and will run all through the day. No Quarter – Classic Rock band will perform live on Saturday evening and will also host a dance recital by Aishwariya Lakshminarayan. On Sunday evening you will have Gary Lawyer live and Iqbal Qureshi’s dance group. At the end, there will be the big Lucky Draw for the main prize of the Contest of Skill – A Business Class ticket to any destination in Europe given away by Lufthansa. The Director General also said that the bridge between India and Germany has narrowed and the feeling of “India has arrived” goes hand in hand with the huge development in various sectors between the two countries. Last but not the least, the presence of NGOs on the occasion will highlight the great work carried out by various organisations. “We are happy to have with us the National Association for the Blind, the mother and child care foundation Bal Sehat Kendra, Om Creation working for mentally challenged kids, Art Bunker working for street children, among others. So, it’s a blend of exciting races and loads of entertainment at the Mahalaxmi Race Course on 1-2 December. An event for the entire family. Don’t miss.