Dorffest Osterby

Osterby — a municipality in northern Schleswig-Holstein

Osterby is a municipality with around 1,700 inhabitants in the Amt Hürup, Schleswig-Flensburg district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, about ten kilometers east of the city of Flensburg. The region between the fjord and the Danish border is characterized by meadows, hedgerows, and small villages — and a dense network of clubs, in which the village festival represents the major social event of the year.

Three days of marquee program

The Dorffest Osterby runs for three days and uses the Bürgermeister-Robert-Ott-Platz as the central festival grounds. A large marquee is erected, where live programs and dancing take place on all three evenings. During the day, there are games for children, club presentations, sports competitions by local sports clubs, and a coffee afternoon.

The Dorffestgemeinschaft

The organizer is the Dorffestgemeinschaft Osterby, a loose association of the sports club, fire brigade, rural youth, shooting club, and other Osterby organizations. Tasks are distributed: setup, stand supervision, security, program planning, catering. Setup takes place on the Wednesday and Thursday before the festival, and dismantling on the Monday after the festival — typical North German village festival logistics that only work through volunteer work.

Social significance

As with most village festivals in Schleswig-Holstein, the Osterby festival has a dual meaning: it is a summer weekend with beer and music, but at the same time the most important opportunity of the year for the village community to meet. Newcomers and long-time residents, old and young generations, sports and shooting clubs — everyone comes together in the marquee over the three days.