Ahaus City Marksmen Festival

19 Marksmen Clubs in One Day

The Ahauser Stadtschützenfest is the most important overarching marksmen event of the city of Ahaus and one of the most prominent dates in the Münsterland marksmen calendar. While the individual Ahaus marksmen clubs celebrate their own club festivals throughout the year, the Stadtschützenfest brings all 19 Ahaus clubs together once a year in a joint event. Date 2026: Saturday, September 26, 2026.

Location: Castle Park

The festive backdrop is the Ahaus Castle Park — the magnificent park surrounding the baroque Ahaus Castle, one of the most important castles in Münsterland. The historic setting makes the festival a visually impressive event: marksmen clubs in uniform against baroque castle architecture — a Münsterland tradition par excellence.

The 19 Participating Marksmen Clubs

Ahaus, with its districts Ahaus, Alstätte, Graes, Ottenstein, Wessum, and Wüllen, has an exceptionally dense marksmen structure. Participating clubs in 2026 include, among others:

• Schützenverein Quantwick-Oberortwick
• Schützenverein Graes
• Bürgerschützenverein Ottenstein
• Schützenverein Brook Alstätte
• Other citizens' marksmen clubs and bachelor marksmen clubs from all districts

Program: Parade, King Award Ceremonies, Bird Shooting

The festival program follows the classic City Marksmen Festival schedule:

• Morning: Muster of all 19 clubs, formation of the parade
• Midday: Parade through the Ahaus city center — all 19 clubs march together in an impressive procession through the city
• Afternoon: Arrival at the Castle Park, joint award ceremonies for all reigning club kings, bird shooting contest for the prestigious title of City Marksmen King
• Evening: Festival tent program with live music, King's Ball for the new City King

Beer, Bratwurst, and Camaraderie

As the marksmen tradition dictates, culinary catering is part of the festival day: beer on tap, bratwurst and potato pancakes from Münsterland snack stands, along with drinks and sweets — typical Münsterland marksmen festival catering.

Ahaus in the Borken District

Ahaus is a city of around 40,000 inhabitants in the Borken district in North Rhine-Westphalia, in western Münsterland, directly on the Dutch border. Known as the former seat of the Prince-Bishops of Münster — hence the baroque castle. The close connection between the marksmen tradition, Catholic tradition, and rural Münsterland identity makes the City Marksmen Festival a characteristic event of the region.