Garchinger Volksfest

Kick-off to the Volksfest Season in the Inn-Salzach Area

For many residents of southeastern Upper Bavaria, the Volksfest season begins with the Garchinger Volksfest. The festival tent is set up on the festival grounds at Kirchweg in Garching an der Alz, showmen erect their amusement rides, and from the last Friday in April to the first Sunday in May, the Volksfest shapes community life. The opening with a grand parade marks the festive start of a ten-day festival week.

Parade and Opening Ceremony

The parade on Friday, April 24, 2026, starts at 5 p.m. and leads through Garching to the festival grounds with floats, traditional costume groups, and music bands. Afterwards, the traditional beer tapping ceremony takes place in the festival tent – a moment particularly celebrated by the people of Garching. Live music by Bavarian bands accompanies the atmosphere late into the evening.

Program Highlights for Every Audience

Each day of the festival week offers its own program note: on Sunday, April 26th, a family day with a morning pint and reduced ride prices; April 27th, Senior's Afternoon from 2 p.m. with dance music and discounted tent catering; April 28th, the "Day of Good Neighborliness" from 5 p.m.; April 29th, Children's Afternoon from 2 p.m. with family rides at special prices, followed by the Day of Companies and Associations from 5 p.m. The festival concludes on the first weekend of May with live bands and a grand finale.

Festival Tent, Showmen, and Tradition

The festival tent seats around 1,500 guests and is, as usual, supplied by a regional brewery. Bavarian delicacies such as roast chicken (Brathendl), fish on a stick (Steckerlfisch), pork knuckle (Schweinshaxe), and giant pretzels are standard fare. Classic amusement rides circle the grounds, with children's attractions like the chain carousel, bumper cars, and candy stalls completing the offering. The combination of tradition, customs, and exuberant atmosphere makes the Garchinger Volksfest a typical Upper Bavarian festival week.

Garching an der Alz – Center between Inn and Salzach

Garching an der Alz is located in the Altötting district in the state of Bavaria, south of the significant industrial and chemical sites on the Alz river. With around 10,000 inhabitants, the municipality forms an important center of the Inn-Salzach region. For decades, the Volksfest has been a fixture in the annual calendar, attracting visitors from the Altötting, Mühldorf am Inn, and neighboring Traunstein districts every spring.