Twitter
Facebook
If you live in one of the villages or towns around Kaiserslautern or Kusel, you’ll soon spot signs for a “Kerwe” or “Dorffest.” It’s festival season and a great time to get outside, meet your German neighbors, make new friends, and dive into authentic village life!
Summer in Germany is festival season, and the region around Kaiserslautern offers plenty of large-scale events to choose from: the Altstadtfest in Kaiserslautern in early July, Speyer’s Brezelfest in mid‑July, Bad Dürkheim’s Sommer program and the Fallen Fortress Open Air rock and metal shows in July and August, Freinsheim’s Stadtmauerfest in mid‑July, a lakeside music festival at Ohmbachsee near Schönenberg‑Kübelberg, Wein am Markt in Landstuhl at the end of the month, Weilerbach’s Weindorf in August and the Kuseler Messe in early September.
Cozy village fests
But, you may not even have to travel very far, most likely your town or village will have a “Kerwe” just down the road. A Kerwe (Palatinate dialect) is a local village festival originally tied to a church consecration, derived from the word “Kirchweih,” and is traditionally celebrated from mid-summer to early fall.
Until a century ago, the Kerwe was, after Christmas, the village’s most important celebration. Houses and fences were freshly painted, children received new clothes, and women prepared special dishes and baked for relatives and guests who came to join the festivities. Young people used the occasion to meet one another, and many couples who met at the Kerwe tied the knot in the months that followed.
Today the Kerwe is less central to family reunions, but many traditions remain: special meals for friends and relatives, a festival set up on the marketplace, dances in the local gasthaus, and sometimes a parade. Most often local clubs and associations will support the events with plenty of food and drink stalls, rides for children and adults, and music on several stages—from traditional brass bands to pop and rock. Most towns also host a Frühschoppen, an early‑morning social drink accompanied by lively “oompa” music.
One tradition endures: The village youth still fashion the Kerwestrauss, a pole festooned with thousands of colored ribbons, and raise it outside the local Gasthaus or town hall. From a ladder a skilled speaker delivers the Kerwerede, a dialect speech recounting local scandals, sensations, and comic episodes. Today these celebrations typically take place over a summer weekend and have a much cozier, community-focused atmosphere than the large commercial carnivals.
Some of the larger Kerwe and village fests that are coming up soon include:
Seewoogfest in Miesenbach on June 19 – 21. Kuckuckskerwe in Enkenbach, Glan-Münchweiler and Niedermohr in early July. Hochspeyer and Thallichtenberg celebrate in early August, and Alsenborn, Ramstein, Otterberg and Weilerbach in September.
In addition to the annual Altstadtfest, Kaiserslautern offers a fabulous street art theater and music festival taking place July 17 – 19. This year Baumholder is hosting a special 75 Years/ 250 Years celebration at the airfield on the long Independence Day weekend.
Every year, numerous wine royalties such as the Zellertal Wine Princess and the Palatinate Wine Queen travel to the wine fair in cozy Einselthum on the third weekend in July.
Kirchheimbolanden is celebrating its annual elegant Residenzfest Aug. 8. Stay tuned for further dates and locations in UNTERWEGS.
River festivals
Larger and more spectacular events along Germany’s streams include the Weinfest “Zeller Schwarze Katz” taking place the weekend starting June 26 in Zell/Moselle. The Altstadtfest from June 26 – 28 and the Zurlaubener Heimatfest in Trier along the banks of the Moselle River with fireworks, from July 10 – 12. The Altstadtfest in Saarbrücken along the Saar River takes place on the 4th of July weekend this year. And, the Backfischfest in Worms on the Rhein River from Aug. 24 – Sep. 1, is the largest volksfest in the region and draws up to 700,000 visitors a year.
You can also enjoy spectacular fireworks and riverside festivals on the “Rhein in Flammen” (Rhine in Flames) cruises, which glide past castles and picturesque towns; several tour operators offer package trips on dates from June through September. For inspiration visit: https://www.rhein-in-flammen.com/home_gb.html
Time for fine wine
When summer’s heat fades and the days grow cooler and more colorful, the festival season turns to more traditional autumn celebrations: the Bad Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt, the Weinkerwe in St. Martin and Neuleiningen, while the Weinmarkt in Mainz takes place late August to early September. Neustadt-Weinstrasse hosts the Deutsche Weinlesefest from late September to October, with the largest vintners’ parade in Germany marking the highlight of the wine fest season in the Palatinate.
In addition, there is a string of wine festivals along the Moselle, Saar and Rhein Rivers. Details listed at: https://en.visitmosel.de/wine-cuisine/wine-events
September then ushers in the world’s largest beer festivals from Munich’s Oktoberfest and Stuttgart’s Wasen to smaller regional Octoberfest celebrations, in addition to local and vibrant colorful farmers’ markets that welcome the fall.
Whether you prefer big, spectacular festivals with thrilling rides and bustling crowds or a cozy, familiar celebration near your doorstep, there’s something for everyone. Just step outside and enjoy the fun!
