Bensberg Gourmet and Evening Market

Premiere 2026 — New Initiative by Bensberg Merchants

The Bensberg Gourmet and Evening Market is a new initiative by the Bensberg Trade and Commerce Association (IBH), celebrating its premiere in 2026. The venue is Schloßstraße around the castle steps — the central shopping street of Bergisch Gladbach-Bensberg, which has been extensively renovated in recent years. The premiere takes place on Friday, May 8, 2026, after which the market will be repeated monthly on the second Friday of the month.

Format — After-Work Market, Pendant to Thursday Events

The concept follows the model of the after-work market already established in many Cologne districts and is also realized here by the operator AVA-Veranstaltungsservice. The market takes place every second Friday from 4:00 PM to 10:00 PM. The offerings include:

• Regional products from the Bergisches Land region
• Gastronomy for on-site consumption — food trucks, finger food, vegan options
• Beverage stands with wine, beer, non-alcoholic options, cocktails
• Live music on a small stage
• Arts and crafts and gift ideas, supplementing the offerings on some dates

IBH chairman Klaus Molitor states the goal: a place where people enjoy meeting, dining, and shopping together. The initiative aims to revitalize the city center identity, which has been shaped by years of construction work on Schloßstraße.

Dates 2026

The market starts in May and runs with monthly dates throughout the summer season:

• May 8, 2026 — Premiere
• June 12, 2026
• July 10, 2026
• August 14, 2026
• September 11, 2026

Schloßstraße Bensberg — Newly Renovated Quarter

Schloßstraße is the central shopping street of Bensberg, a district of Bergisch Gladbach with its own identity. It leads from the market up to the magnificent Bensberg Castle (now a castle hotel), a landmark of the Bergisches Land region. After several years of renovation, the street shines in new splendor — the market is intended to fulfill this redesign as a city center meeting point.

Bergisch Gladbach — Bergisches Metropolis in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis

With around 113,000 inhabitants, Bergisch Gladbach is the largest city in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis (North Rhine-Westphalia) and part of the eastern Cologne metropolitan area. Bensberg, one of the central districts with its striking castle, has an independent identity and is being further promoted as a shopping and meeting center through the IBH initiative.