Name: Eckental Kirchweihen 2026
Start: 2026-06-04T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-12T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Sieben Ortsteile des Markts Eckental

Eckental Kerwa

About Eckental Kerwa

The municipality of Eckental in the Erlangen-Höchstadt district is a special case in Middle Franconian Kerwa culture: Seven districts celebrate their own Kirchweih (a type of folk festival) each year — one after another, spread over five months from June to October. Anyone who regularly visits Eckental between June and October can experience a different Kerwa every week — from Eckenhaid, Oberschöllenbach, and Brand to Eschenau, Benzendorf, Forth, and Herpersdorf. It is one of the most densely packed Kirchweih programs in Franconia.

Dates 04 Jun — 12 Oct 2026

Venue Eckental (09572)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Eckental Kerwa — edition 2026

The 2026 Kerwa series in Eckental spans five months across the seven districts. Eckenhaid kicks off the festivities from June 4th to 8th, with Herpersdorf providing the finale from October 9th to 12th. In between, Oberschöllenbach, Brand, Eschenau, Benzendorf, and Forth celebrate their Kirchweihen. Admission is free, with catering provided by local associations.

Seven Kirchweihen, seven weekends, five months of Kerwa time in the municipality of Eckental: This is the extraordinary calendar for 2026. The dates have been officially confirmed by the Erlangen-Höchstadt District Office. Each village has its own profile — from a purely village-based inn character (Benzendorf, Herpersdorf) to larger festivals with marquees and dance stages (Eckenhaid, Forth).

The Eckental Kerwa tradition is also an invitation to linger in the region: Between the festival weeks, hikes in the Sebalder Reichswald, a tour into the Franconian Switzerland, or a visit to Erlangen can be wonderfully planned.

Highlights Eckental Kerwa 2026

Kerwa opening in Eckenhaid at Pentecost/early June, finale in Herpersdorf in October, dense summer calendar with a new Kerwa every month.

Programme Eckental Kerwa 2026

Kerwa Calendar 2026

June 4th — 8th, 2026 — Kirchweih Eckenhaid (1st Kerwa of the year)
July 10th — 13th, 2026 — Kirchweih Oberschöllenbach
August 7th — 10th, 2026 — Kirchweih Brand
August 21st — 24th, 2026 — Kirchweih Eschenau
September 4th — 8th, 2026 — Kirchweih Benzendorf
October 2nd — 5th, 2026 — Kirchweih Forth
October 9th — 12th, 2026 — Kirchweih Herpersdorf (Finale)

Sources: Erlangen-Höchstadt District Office, Municipality of Eckental.

Prices Eckental Kerwa 2026

Free admission to all seven Kirchweihen.

Practical information

Practical information — Eckental Kerwa

Getting There

Via the A 9 motorway (Allersberg or Lauf-Süd exit) or the A 73 motorway (Erlangen-Bruck exit). Travel by S-Bahn (suburban train) on line S 1 (Nuremberg — Bamberg) to Eckental-Forth/Eschenau, then continue by bus or on foot.

Admission

Admission to all Kerwas is free. Payment is made on-site at the catering stands.

Program Overview

All dates and program details for the Eckental Kirchweihen will be published on erlangen-hoechstadt.de and eckental.de.

Seven Villages, Seven Kerwa Weekends

What most Franconian communities celebrate with a single Kirchweih, Eckental expands into a five-month program. The municipality of Eckental, located between Erlangen and Nuremberg, consists of several historically developed districts — and each celebrates its own Kerwa. The patronal feast of the respective parish and its place in the annual calendar determine the date.

The Seven Kerwa Weeks 2026

The 2026 series begins in June in Eckenhaid and concludes in October in Herpersdorf. The official dates have been published by the Erlangen-Höchstadt District Office:

Eckenhaid — June 4th to 8th, 2026 (Opening)
Oberschöllenbach — July 10th to 13th, 2026
Brand — August 7th to 10th, 2026
Eschenau — August 21st to 24th, 2026
Benzendorf — September 4th to 8th, 2026
Forth — October 2nd to 5th, 2026
Herpersdorf — October 9th to 12th, 2026

Eckental — A Mosaic Municipality in the Erlangen Region

With around 14,500 inhabitants, Eckental is located in the Erlangen-Höchstadt district, in the state of Bavaria, at the transition between the Sebalder Reichswald forest and the Franconian Switzerland region. The municipality was formed in 1972 from the merger of several independent villages — and it is precisely this communal history that explains why each village has preserved its patronal feast character.

What Characterizes the Eckental Kerwa

As everywhere in Middle Franconia: Kirchweih is more than just an evening in a beer tent. It is a dense network of rituals including the patronal mass, the 'Plärrer' dance, 'Kerwa-Burschen' (young men organizing the festival), bratwurst, and beer. Each of the seven Eckental Kerwas brings its own accents — from a traditional parade to a purely village-based inn Kerwa.