Dorffest Schenkenzell

Three Days of Black Forest Sociability

Schenkenzell is a small community in the middle Kinzigtal with just under 1,800 inhabitants — nestled between Hausach, Wolfach, and Alpirsbach. The annual village festival on the last weekend of July is the highlight of the village summer: for three days, the village center merges into a single festival zone, where practically every club in the village is represented with a stand — from the fire department and sports club to the music club.

Saturday — Kick-off with Moped Meet and Dance Evening

Saturday, July 25th, starts with a moped meet and a short tour (2–4 PM) — a particularly cherished hobby in Schenkenzell. Afterwards, the traditional barrel tapping ceremony takes place with the local music club. The evening is dedicated to dance music: the Holzebener and the Original Schwarzwald Quintett will play, both bands with a long tradition in the southwestern German brass and Schlager music scene. DJ Carsten Nelke will then take over until 1 AM — the aerobics demonstration and the dance group round off the evening.

Sunday — Service, Family, Competitions

Sunday, July 26th, begins at 10 AM with the ecumenical festival service. This is followed by the traditional festival breakfast. In the afternoon, the family program runs with the Juks-Mobil (play trailer for children) and the beer crate stacking competition — a discipline that is a cult favorite in many Black Forest villages (who can build the highest tower of beer crates?). Sunday concludes with the raffle draw.

Monday — the Traditional Craftsmens' Supper

Monday, July 27th, is the traditional craftsmens' day. The Handwerkervesper (craftsmens' supper) in the hall with the band Heimathelden concludes the festival — a tradition from a time when craftsmen and farmers still worked through the festival Monday, bridging the day with a Vesper. Today, it's more of a cozy end to the festival for the regular guests who have been there all weekend.

Schenkenzell and the Kinzigtal

The Rottweil district, and especially the Kinzigtal, are the core tourist zone of the Black Forest in Baden-Württemberg. Schenkenzell itself has two famous tourist attractions — the Schenkenburg castle ruins and the Heimbach hiking area — but on a normal weekend, the main visitors are residents from neighboring communities. The village festival turns this perspective around: it is explicitly intended for the people of Schenkenzell, with some outside visitors as a bonus.