73rd Apple Blossom Festival Höchst im Odenwald

The Odenwald's First Spring Festival

The Apfelblütenfest Höchst is the traditional season opener for the folk festival year in the Odenwald. The 73rd edition in 2026 marks an unbroken tradition since the 1950s – the festival has its own mythology of an Apple Blossom Queen, a festival parade, and a large amusement park, which brings a region between Aschaffenburg, Darmstadt, and Heidelberg to life anew each year.

Höchst im Odenwald

Höchst i. Odw. is a market town in the Odenwald district with around 10,000 inhabitants, located in the western Odenwald on the river Mümling. The municipality consists of several districts and, as a central town, plays an important role for the surrounding area. The central Montmélianer Platz – named after its French partner town – serves as the festival grounds, market square, and stage for Höchst's identity all in one.

Crowning of the Apple Blossom Queen

The kickoff on Friday evening, May 8th, 2026 at 7:30 PM, is the crowning of the 73rd Apple Blossom Queen in the festival tent on Montmélianer Platz, followed by the traditional tapping of the first beer keg. The Apple Blossom Queen represents the municipality throughout the year at festivals in friendly towns and at the Queen's meeting on Sunday afternoon.

Q6 Band, Mo-Gigs, and DJ Bundy

Musically, the festival offers three distinct acts throughout the weekend. From 9 PM on Friday, the Q6 Band-Partykühe will entertain the festival tent with "Best of Schlager, Volxx-Rock, and Party Music" – the repertoire ranges stylistically from spring festival to Oktoberfest sound. On Sunday after the festival parade, the Mo-Gigs take over from 2:30 PM with a musical afternoon, during which the Queen's meeting also takes place. From 7 PM on Monday, DJ Bundy will provide the festival finale in the tent.

Festival Parade, Plant Bazaar, and Flea Market

The festival parade on Sunday is the visual highlight: floats, traditional costume groups, clubs, brass bands, the Apple Blossom Queen with her court parade through Höchst's town center. Before that, on Saturday morning, there's the plant bazaar, and on Saturday afternoon, the TSV flea market. In parallel, a large amusement park with rides is set up, and Sunday is a shopping Sunday with open stores in the town center.

Sunday Evening – Evening of the Clubs

Sunday evening from 7 PM is dedicated to the "Evening of the Clubs": sports awards ceremony for the municipality, dance performances by the Carnival Club, and demonstrations by the "Jumping Gums" of TSV Höchst. This is not tourist entertainment, but genuine club culture that anchors the festival in the community.