Erntedankfest Wegeleben

Harvest Thanksgiving in the Vorharz

Wegeleben is located between Halberstadt and Quedlinburg on the Bode river, in the transitional area between the fertile Magdeburger Börde and the foothills of the Harz mountains. Agriculture has shaped the region for centuries – and this is precisely what is celebrated every autumn at the Erntedankfest on Wegeleben's market square.

At the center is the traditional Erntedankumzug (Harvest Thanksgiving parade): Decorated wagons from farmers in the districts parade through the town, farmers from the surrounding area present their yields, and the ceremonially tied Erntekrone (harvest crown) is carried through the streets and handed over to the mayor on the market square. Afterwards, the Harvest Thanksgiving prayer is spoken in the nearby church.

Market, Stage, and Family Program

On this day, stalls of direct marketers from the region line the market square: fresh bread, regional sausage and cheese specialties, honey from the Harz foothills, apple cider, pickled vegetables, pumpkins from the Börde fields. A stage provides the acoustic backdrop with brass music, regional folk, and dance groups.

For families, the festival offers its own program: crafting activities with natural materials, harvest games for children, a petting zoo, and pony rides. Anyone traveling in the Harz district in autumn will find the Erntedankfest Wegeleben an authentic event that perfectly captures the agricultural culture of the state of Sachsen-Anhalt – far from tourist paths, in the middle of a town where Harvest Thanksgiving is still the community event of the year.