Kaiserslautern sponsors ‘Long Night of Culture’

Kaiserslautern will sponsor its 14th annual “Long Night of Culture,” Saturday and Sunday. The event will feature more than 100 performances, presentations and displays from more than 500 artists in over 30 different locations including the Pfalztheater, Fruchthalle, SWR studio, Japanese Garden, Museum Pfalzgalerie and Kammgarn.

“The Long Night of Culture is one of the annual top events of the region and lures thousands of visitors to the city,” said Dr. Susanne Wimmer-Leonhardt, deputy mayor of Kaiserslautern. “The event is special because many local artists and groups help to create an entertaining and interesting program.”

Visitors can walk from one event to another and a novelty will be a bus, which takes people to performance locations not within walking distance.

“The bus won’t be just a transportation vehicle, it also will offer performances inside with musicians, clowns and lecturers,” Wimmer-Leonhardt said.

This year there will be new artists and new performance locations.

“We want the audience to say that this year’s program was as interesting and impressive as last year’s,” said Dr. Christoph Damman, director of the arts office. “The program is a symbol for Kaiserslautern’s tolerance and diversity.”

Various music groups will perform starting at 6 p.m. in the Fruchthalle, known as Kaiserslautern’s concert hall. The late night program will be from 9:30 p.m. to 3 a.m Saturday into Sunday with a disc jockey lounge, oriental and Irish dancing and three stages in the concert hall for live salsa disco.

In the Pfalztheater, visitors can enjoy chamber music, a magician and ballet performances.

The Theodor-Zink-Museum on Steinstrasse 48 will offer exhibitions and dance presentations. The U.S. Air Forces in Europe Band’s Five Star Brass will also be there to perform at 8 p.m. followed by an open jam session at 10:30 p.m.

The Museum Pfalzgalerie Kaiserslautern will offer a wellness program, focusing on the senses.

“Besides our normal tour guide program there will be a magician’s show, a shadow play with flying stones, live music and footbaths,” said Svenja Kriebel, head of the Applied Arts Collection at the MPK museum.

The Japanese Garden will be illuminated and is open from 7 p.m. to midnight, free of charge. Tango Milonga will lure tango dancers to Stiftsplatz from 7 to 11 p.m.
Stiftskirche will open a room of silence lit with candles, from 7 p.m. to midnight. In the churchyard, food specialties, wine and medieval beer will be served.

Several bands will perform from 1 to 11 p.m. on the stage in front of Stiftskirche.
In Apostelkirche, the chamber orchestra of the Emmerich-Smola-Music-School will present a summer concert at 6 p.m. followed by an ensemble, Gospelwave, who will perform a diversity of gospel music at 9 p.m.

Admission fee for most places is €12 for adults and €9 for students. The family ticket costs €25. Visitors get a wristband, which allows them to enter all facilities that charge a fee. At midnight, prices will be reduced to €5 for adults and €2 for students.
For a detailed program and location addresses, visit www.kaiserslautern.de/tourismus_freizeit_kultur or stop at the Tourist Information Office on Fruchthallstrasse to get the Long Night of Culture brochure. An information stand will be set up near the Fruchthalle entrance next to the war monument, from
4 p.m. to midnight Saturday.