BIE-Happy Autumn Kirmes

BIE-Happy Herbstkirmes — The East Westphalian Autumn Volksfest Tradition

What the Cranger Kirmes is to the Ruhr area, the BIE-Happy Herbstkirmes is to Bielefeld and East Westphalia: the grand autumn Volksfest (funfair) that lets the last warm days of the year fade away with a Ferris wheel, roller coaster, dodgems, haunted house, and over forty other rides. From October 23rd to November 1st, 2026, the Radrennbahn at Heeper Straße 301 will transform into a dazzling Kirmes wonderland — with free admission, organized by the Schaustellerverein Bielefeld e.V.

The Programme — From Classics to Thrill Rides

The Kirmes offers the full spectrum of a German Volksfest:

• Thrill Rides — Ferris wheel, roller coaster, Top-Spin, Booster, and other adrenaline guarantors
• Classics — Dodgems, chain carousel, haunted house, pirate ship swing
• Children's Rides — small carousels, balloon ride, mini roller coaster, bouncy castles
• Game Stalls and Booths — ring toss, shooting gallery, claw machines, lottery booths
• Snacks — Bratwurst, fries, crêpes, Reibekuchen (potato pancakes), Currywurst
• Sweets — candied almonds, cotton candy, gingerbread hearts, chocolate-covered fruit
• Beer and Mulled Wine Garden — huts with beer and (in cool weather) mulled wine

Special Promotions — Happy Hour, Opening Fireworks, and Family Day

Three special highlights make the BIE-Happy Herbstkirmes stand out:

• Opening Fireworks on Friday, October 23rd, 2026, around 9 PM — marking the official start of the festival
• Happy Hour on October 23rd and 26th from 3-5 PM: At many rides, the motto is 'pay once, ride twice' — double the rides for half the price
• Family Day on Wednesday, October 28th, 2026, with special prices for carousel rides, snacks, and sweets — especially for families and children

Opening Hours — Flexible Over the 10 Days

The Kirmes adapts to weekdays and weekends:

• Monday-Friday: from 3:00 PM
• Saturday and Sunday: from 2:00 PM
• Public Holidays (Reformation Day Oct 31st, All Saints' Day Nov 1st): from 6:00 PM
• Closing Time: daily 10:00 PM, Fridays and Saturdays until 11:00 PM

Radrennbahn Bielefeld — The East Westphalian Volksfest Hub

The Radrennbahn on Heeper Straße is Bielefeld's most important open-air event venue. Originally built for track cycling races, it has become the prime location for Bielefeld's Kirmes scene: the spring Kirmes 'BIE-Happy Frühlingskirmes' in May and the autumn Kirmes presented here at the end of October share the grounds. With its good public transport connections (StadtBahn Line 1 to Heeper Straße) and ample parking, it's the ideal location.

Bielefeld — University City and Economic Centre of East Westphalia

With around 335,000 inhabitants, Bielefeld is the largest city in East Westphalia-Lippe — an important economic centre (with Dr. Oetker as the main employer), a university city with a campus on the A2 motorway, and a cultural hub (Stadttheater, Kunsthalle, Bunker Ulmenwall as a cultural venue). Worth seeing are the Sparrenburg castle as the landmark above the old town, the Bauernhausmuseum (Farmhouse Museum), the Bethel Foundation, and of course the university with its famous reinforced concrete architecture from the 1970s. In the Volksfest calendar, the Radrennbahn events, the Leineweber Market, and the Sparrenburg Festival shape Bielefeld's identity.