Dülkener Weihnachtstreff

Dülkener Weihnachtstreff — Advent as a Social Project

Looking for a Christmas market not dominated by mulled wine marketing or industrial Advent stall logic? For 15 years, a different approach has been taken in Viersen's Dülken district: The Dülkener Weihnachtstreff is explicitly designed as a charitable gathering by and for the people of Dülken — supported by the DülkenBüro, the City of Viersen, and the Dülken Community Centre, with exclusively local clubs and social organisations as stallholders.

"By Dülken Residents — For Dülken Residents"

The festival's motto — "By Dülken Residents — For Dülken Residents" — is not just a slogan. It precisely describes the concept: the Weihnachtstreff is a two-day form of neighbourhood work in festive attire. The stalls are run by local clubs — sports clubs, parish communities, carnival societies, social clubs, schools. The City of Viersen provides the stall materials, and the DülkenBüro coordinates the organisation.

Charitable Profit Sharing

The special feature of the model: 50% of the proceeds remain with the participating organisations for their local club work, and the other 50% go to a joint social project, which the participating clubs determine in advance by vote. In previous years, these have included projects like a playground renovation, a social counselling centre, or an expansion of the local food bank in Dülken — all directly visible in the neighbourhood.

Saturday and Sunday Programme

The weekend features activities for families and adults:

• Saturday, December 12, 2026:
  • Opening and official welcome
  • Trumpet choir with Advent songs
  • Sawing and nailing workshop for children
  • Painting stations
  • Evening Christmas dance with live DJ programme
• Sunday, December 13, 2026:
  • Community Advent carol singing with the Community Centre Choir
  • Puppet show and craft activities
  • Performance by the Juxkapelle Waers ensemble (local curiosity with a repertoire of sing-along songs)
  • Nativity play by the local parish community

Dülken — Historic Viersen District

Dülken is one of the four main districts of Viersen. Before the municipal reform of 1970, it was an independent town and has a conservation-listed old town centre around the Alten Markt (Old Market). St. Cornelius Parish Church, the old town hall, and several historic bourgeois houses form a cohesive historical backdrop, suitable for an Advent market with the flair of a former Rhenish small town.

Viersen and the Lower Rhine

Viersen is a district town in the Viersen district, in the western Lower Rhine region of North Rhine-Westphalia, with around 76,000 inhabitants. The city is located near the Dutch border, about 30 minutes from Düsseldorf, Mönchengladbach, and Krefeld. The Dülkener Weihnachtstreff is one of several Advent formats in the city — Dülken, Süchteln, and Boisheim each have their own distinct offerings.