Dorffest Raa-Besenbek

Summer in the Pinneberg Marsch

Raa-Besenbek is located in the Pinneberg district in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, in the flat marshland between Elmshorn and Glückstadt. With around 700 inhabitants, the community is a typical North German marsh village—and its annual village festival perfectly reflects this character. It's not a large public festival with carousels and marquees, but a weekend where the village community celebrates itself.

The Three Locations of the Festival

Three central locations share the stage over two days:

• Neuendorfer Sportplatz — The festival kicks off here on Friday evening with the traditional football match
• Hof Ossenbrüggen — Meeting point for the children's parade on Saturday afternoon
• Alte Schule — Grounds for the coffee and cake with homemade cakes from the villagers

What You'll Experience

Friday evening begins with sports, featuring a football match starting at 6:30 PM at the Neuendorfer Sportplatz—traditionally with village teams or intergenerational games. Saturday is dedicated to family: at 2:00 PM, the children's parade starts at Hof Ossenbrüggen and winds through the village streets. Simultaneously, the coffee and cake event begins on the grounds of the Alte Schule—outdoors if the weather is good, indoors if it rains. Village residents and guests are warmly invited.

A North German Tradition

The Dorffest in Raa-Besenbek follows the pattern of numerous small festival weekends in the marsh communities of the Pinneberg district: organized by volunteers, with free admission, featuring homemade food, and a clear focus on community. Visitors from Hamburg or Elmshorn will experience a tradition that lives on beyond the large city festivals in North Germany—and that's precisely what makes such village festivals appealing.