Dumbächer Kirwa Kirchenthumbach

»Dumba« — the dialect home of the Kirwa

»Dumba« is the Upper Palatinate dialect form for Kirchenthumbach, a market town with just under 2,300 inhabitants in the Neustadt an der Waldnaab district on the edge of the Steinwald forest. The Dumbächer Kirwa is the annual Kirchweih of this market town — and at the same time the highlight of the year in the local calendar for the town and surrounding villages.

The Kirwaverein Kirchenthumbach

The organizer is the Kirwaverein Kirchenthumbach, which emerged in 2002 from former members of the KLJB Kirchenthumbach (Catholic Rural Youth Movement). Since then, the association has organized the Kirwa as a voluntary major project for the young adults of the town — a remarkable continuity of over two decades now.

Date: Weekend after Assumption Day

The Dumbächer Kirwa takes place every year on the weekend after Assumption Day (August 15th) — an old Upper Palatinate tradition. In 2026, this falls on the weekend of August 21st-23rd.

Program Structure — Typical Dumbächer Kirwa

The festival follows a tried-and-tested schedule that has changed little over the years:

• Friday evening — Raising of the Kirwabaum (approx. 29 meters), ceremonial hoisting with lever poles, followed by the festival opening in the marquee
• Saturday — Open-air day with bands (e.g., »Gseea Wepsn«), large dance evening
• Sunday — Festival service, Frühschoppen (morning pint), in the afternoon traditional Austanzen (dancing out) of the Kirwa couples in traditional Upper Palatinate costume with Kirwagstanzla — humorous, rhyming mocking verses about local and current events
• Berg-Kraxler (mountain climbers) demonstrations on the Kirwabaum with acrobatic climbing feats
• Festival finale with the burying of the Kirwa

Tradition and Customs

The Berg-Kraxler are a peculiarity of the Upper Palatinate Kirwa culture: young men climb the Kirwabaum and perform acrobatic feats at the top — a direct connection to the agricultural customs that date back far in the region. The Dumbächer Blaskapelle (brass band) provides musical accompaniment throughout the festival weekend.

More than a festival — also a fundraiser

The Kirwaverein is also socially committed: the proceeds from the Kirwa revenues are regularly donated to charitable projects — for example, to the support group of the primary and secondary school Kirchenthumbach or to flood victims and the First Responders Kirchenthumbach. Thus, the Kirwa is not only a festival but also an important social project of the local youth.

Upper Palatinate Kirchweih Culture

The Dumbächer Kirwa is in the tradition of the Upper Palatinate village Kirwa, which is still celebrated annually in many places in the region. What makes it special: the scale — thousands of visitors from the market town and surrounding villages, a 29-meter-high pole, and a well-rehearsed, volunteer-run program.