Bebra Thanksgiving and Heritage Festival (Bäwersche Kirmes)

"Bäwersche Kirmes" – The Heritage Festival of the Railway Town

Bebra is one of Germany's most famous railway towns – a hub between north and south, with a huge train station that has made the town famous throughout the Federal Republic. The Thanksgiving and Heritage Festival, in dialect "Bäwersche Kirmes", has been the big city festival for generations – five days of festival tent, carousels, showmen, clubs, Thanksgiving, and heritage.

2026 – Relocation to Weiterode

A special feature of the 2026 edition: The festival will run exceptionally not in the city center of Bebra, but in the district of Weiterode, on the festival grounds at the sports field. The reason is the construction of a modern fire station (approx. 1,850 m²) on the usual multipurpose site at the Laupfütze in Bebra. After an internal selection process, Stadtentwicklung Bebra (Bebra Urban Development) chose Weiterode, one of its districts, as the alternative location. Practical bonus: The Weiterode Kirmes itself begins on October 15th – the tent can be efficiently used for both events.

"A Chance to Prove Itself as the Best Kirmes Town"

As Stefan Pruschwitz, Managing Director of Stadtentwicklung Bebra, puts it: The change of location is for Weiterode "the chance to prove itself as the best Kirmes town." Historically, there has always been a small competition between the core city of Bebra and its districts for the best Kirmes tradition.

Program Structure

Even under changed circumstances, the festival will follow the familiar structure: Thursday is club evening in the festival tent, Friday is the parade with marching bands and clubs, Saturday is a show night in the tent, Sunday is the ecumenical service followed by a grand procession through Weiterode, and in the evening, fireworks, Monday is family day with showmen and the closing. Five days of festival operation from Thursday to Monday.

Bebra and Weiterode

Weiterode is one of Bebra's eastern districts, located between the railway hub and the Knüllwald forest. The club infrastructure here is traditionally strong – ideal for a festival that is largely supported by local club life. With the integration of the Thanksgiving and Heritage Festival, Weiterode gets a double autumn festival program for 2026.