Heilbronn Children's Festival

Family Paradise in Wertwiesenpark

The Heilbronn Children's Festival is one of the largest family festivals in Northern Württemberg. It is organized annually by Heilbronn Marketing GmbH in the expansive Wertwiesenpark — a park-like green space on the Neckar river in the heart of Heilbronn, offering plenty of space for a decentralized festival concept. The 2026 edition will take place on Saturday, July 11, 2026, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Free admission.

65 Hands-on Stations, Over 70 Clubs

What makes the Heilbronn Children's Festival special: It is not a consumer festival, but a participation festival. Over 70 Heilbronn clubs, sports clubs, aid organizations, cultural institutions, and social initiatives are spread across around 65 stations in the park — and each station offers something to try, play, craft, or do. An excerpt from the typical offerings:

• Sports Stations — Target throwing, can tossing, climbing (at the climbing tower of the German Alpine Club), football with the TSG Hoffenheim HOFFEEXPRESS, hockey, table tennis, athletics
• Creative Stations — Crafting, painting, pottery, children's jewelry, clay work
• Technology and Research — Flight simulator (Aero-Club), STEM experiments, robotics stations
• Animal World — Pony rides, petting zoo, dog demonstrations
• Safety and Help — Fire truck tours, exercises with DRK and Johanniter (emergency services)
• Theatre and Culture — Children's theatre, Heilbronn Music School, dance groups, acrobatics, gymnastics
• Special Attractions — Mascot appearances (most recently with the Federal Garden Show dwarf 'Karl'), bouncy castles, wheel of fortune

All activities are free of charge — the clubs are financed by sponsors and Heilbronn Marketing GmbH.

Stage Program

On the central stage, Heilbronn dance groups, acrobats, gymnastics clubs, music schools, children's choirs, and bands present a varied program throughout the day. The stage is typically hosted by a celebrity presenter or a mascot.

UNICEF City and Child-Friendly Heilbronn

The Children's Festival is more than just a family day — it is part of the commitment of the city of Heilbronn as a UNICEF-recognized child-friendly city. Heilbronn Marketing GmbH sees the festival as a platform to:

• Showcase Heilbronn as a child- and family-friendly location
• Promote social integration (all activities free and accessible)
• Provide a stage for clubs and initiatives
• Raise awareness of sports and participation opportunities in the region
• Bring families from the entire Heilbronn-Franconia region together

Wertwiesenpark — The Festival Grounds

The Wertwiesenpark is located on the southern bank of the Neckar in Heilbronn-Mitte and offers around 13 hectares of meadows, trees, and play areas. With its large playground and connection to the Neckar cycle path, it is already a popular family meeting point under normal conditions — on Children's Festival day, it becomes the festival center with thousands of visitors. Its central location and good public transport connections make it ideal for families from Heilbronn, Neckarsulm, Sinsheim, Schwäbisch Hall, and the entire Heilbronn-Franconia region.