Familienfest Berkenthin

Berkenthin — a village on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal

Berkenthin is located in the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg in the state of Schleswig-Holstein, on the Elbe-Lübeck Canal between Mölln and Lübeck. With just under 2,000 inhabitants, the municipality is the seat of the Berkenthin district of the same name, which includes several smaller neighboring municipalities. The annual Familienfest (family festival) at the sports center is one of the central summer dates for the community.

Family is the focus

As the name suggests, the family festival is aimed at all generations. The exact program is announced by the municipal cultural committee in the run-up to the event and changes from year to year — typical elements of events of this format include:

• Face painting, bouncy castle, and play stations for the little ones
• Sports activities at the sports center (football, athletics games)
• Live music or DJ in the afternoon
• Refreshments with coffee, cake, bratwurst, and cold drinks
• Raffle or wheel of fortune for fundraising purposes

The cultural committee as organizer

The organization lies with the cultural committee of the municipality of Berkenthin — a voluntary body responsible for events and cultural activities throughout the year. Contact at 0172 9397115 or [email protected]. The sponsorship makes it clear: this is a celebration not for tourists, but for the community itself — and that's the appeal.

Sports center as a multi-purpose venue

The sports center on Bahnhofstraße is the typical multi-purpose venue for these events: lawn for activities, club rooms for catering, parking spaces for arrival. In the district of Herzogtum Lauenburg, this form of family festival is widespread — and Berkenthin thus showcases a piece of lived village culture that manages without commercial overhead.