150th Anniversary Founding Festival FFW Neukirchen-Balbini

150 Years of Club History

The Volunteer Fire Brigade Neukirchen-Balbini was founded in 1876. 150 years is a significant anniversary in Upper Palatinate fire brigade culture – and is being celebrated with an extensive festival weekend and a year-long program series. The actual founding festival runs from July 17th to 20th, 2026, on the festival grounds in Neukirchen-Balbini.

Anniversary Year 2026 with a Long Program Series

The festival committee of the FFW Neukirchen-Balbini has designed the anniversary year 2026 not as an isolated festival weekend, but as a year-round anniversary program. The first festive event already took place on Corpus Christi 2026: The Festival Mother and her Festival Ladies prepared a 150-meter-long strawberry cake – as a symbolic reference to the 150th anniversary. Further program points will accompany the anniversary year, culminating in the anniversary festival in July.

Four Festival Days July 17–20, 2026

The main festival follows the classic Upper Palatinate fire brigade anniversary dramaturgy:

• Friday, July 17: Festival opening with beer tapping and festival evening
• Saturday, July 18: Festival operations, festival church service, festival evening with a grand program
• Sunday, July 19: Festival parade with friendly fire brigades and clubs, morning pint, family program
• Monday, July 20: Festival conclusion

Festival Mother and Festival Ladies

In Upper Palatinate fire brigade culture, the Festival Mother is a central representative figure. She is chosen from within the club's environment and represents the brigade at official occasions. She is accompanied by a group of Festival Ladies, who also represent at festivities and parades. This tradition is particularly strong in the southern Bavarian region.

Neukirchen-Balbini in the Upper Palatinate Forest

Neukirchen-Balbini is a market town with around 2,000 inhabitants in the district of Schwandorf, on the edge of the Oberpfälzer Wald (Upper Palatinate Forest). The municipality is characterized by the wooded, sparsely populated upland plateau of the Upper Palatinate. Economically, it is shaped by agriculture, forestry, and small crafts – with a strong club life in which the volunteer fire brigade plays a central role.