Haardter Woi- und Quetschekuchekerwe

The Haardter Woi- und Quetschekuchekerwe is the traditional Palatinate autumn festival of the renowned wine village Haardt. The distinctive double name refers to the two core elements: „Woi" is Palatinate German for wine, „Quetschekuche" is the Palatinate plum cake (from „Quetschen" = damsons). Thus, the festival connects Palatinate wine and baking traditions with the plum harvest season in early autumn.

The 2026 edition takes place from Friday, September 4th to Wednesday, September 9th — the first weekend of September with extended festival operations into the following week. The venue is the festival mile on Mandelring — the same street that becomes the famous almond blossom tunnel in March. By September, the almond blossoms are long gone, but the plums hang ripe on the trees — and Quetschekuche is the seasonal Palatinate baking marvel.

The culinary specialty of the festival is the large plum cake — a giant cake baked together, which is distributed to the festival guests. Quetschekuche is a Palatinate peculiarity: a yeast dough base with densely arranged halved damsons, often refined with cinnamon and streusel.

A special Palatinate tradition is the competition in plum stone spitting: participants try to spit a plum stone as far as possible — an unusual but traditional skill discipline that is fun and guarantees laughs. The winners receive prizes.

Oenologically, the Haardter Kerwe is a Palatinate highlight, as the Haardt top wineries open their courtyards: Müller-Catoir (one of the most renowned Palatinate wineries, VDP member), Oliver Zeter (award-winning Sauvignon Blanc specialist), Weegmüller (highly rated for many years), and Probsthof. This constellation makes the Kerwe particularly attractive oenologically — wines of such caliber are rarely found at a Palatinate folk wine festival.

Palatinate specialties — Saumagen, Bratwurst, Leberknödel, Flammkuchen, and of course Quetschekuche — and live music at several locations complement the program.