Erwitte Craftsmen's Marksmen's Club Schützenfest

Schützenfest HSV Erwitte — Tradition since 1820

The Erwitte Craftsmen's Marksmen's Club 1820 e.V. — HSV Erwitte for short — is one of the oldest and most active marksmen's associations in the Soest district. Founded in 1820 by craftsmen from Erwitte's city center, the club continues to foster a vibrant traditional culture to this day. The annual Schützenfest is the highlight of the club's calendar and is scheduled for July 11th to 13th, 2026.

Three Days of Program

The festival follows the classic three-day structure of Westphalian Schützenfeste:

• Friday, July 11th, 2026 — Festival kickoff with assembly, welcome, and the first concert at the festival tent
• Saturday, July 12th, 2026 — King's shooting, coronation ball with live music in the evening
• Sunday, July 13th, 2026 — Marksmen's mass, parade through Erwitte, concluding family day

The exact times and band program will be communicated via the club's website hsv-erwitte.de and HSV's official social media channels.

Club Structure and Traditions

HSV Erwitte 1820 maintains a rich tradition with numerous offices and rituals:

• Reigning King and Queen as representatives of the club year
• Eagle Kings (classic marksmen's majesties)
• Runkel Kings (humorous tradition with sugar beet)
• Honorary Company as the festival company during parades
• Ceremonial flags and cannons

Regular activities include winter balls, general meetings, excursions (most recently to Winterberg, for example), and participation in district Schützenfeste.

Erwitte in the Southern Soest District

Erwitte is located in the south of the Soest district in North Rhine-Westphalia — at the transition from the Hellweg region to the Sauerland. With about 16,000 inhabitants, the town is an important medium-sized economic center with a focus on construction chemicals and cement. The city's most famous son is Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen, the founder of the cooperative movement. The HSV's Schützenfest is one of the town's most important folk festivals — alongside events organized by other Erwitte marksmen's clubs.