Autumn Market and Town Festival Simmern (Pumpkin, Potato, and Cabbage)

Simmern, with just under 8,000 inhabitants, is the district town of the Rhein-Hunsrück district and is considered the secret capital of the Hunsrück. The annual Autumn Market with Town Festival, along with the AdventLights Christmas Market, is one of the two major crowd-pullers that completely animate the city center. The organizer is the Werbegemeinschaft Simmern Attraktiv e.V. in close coordination with the City of Simmern and the Simmern-Rheinböllen association.

The namesake trio “Pumpkin, Potato, and Cabbage” is the program: Market stalls feature numerous pumpkin varieties — from classic Halloween pumpkins to rare Hokkaido and ornamental pumpkins — regional potato varieties directly from Hunsrück farmers, sauerkraut, white cabbage, and savoy cabbage. These are joined by apple growers from the surrounding area, beekeepers with honey and beeswax products, manufacturers of jams, liqueurs, and brandies, as well as vendors of autumn decorations made from natural materials.

The market begins at the Schinderhannesturm, Simmern's medieval landmark, starting at 11 a.m. From there, a continuous row of stalls stretches across the central shopping street to Schinderhannesplatz and Schlossplatz. In parallel, the city center shops open from 1 p.m. for the Sunday with open shops — an exception to the town festival regulations, officially approved in Rhineland-Palatinate.

Several action stages provide musical accompaniment and interactive programs. Food trucks and stands from Simmern associations offer “Spießbraten” (roast pork), “Reibekuchen” (potato pancakes), bratwurst, tarte flambée, “Federweißen” (young wine), and autumn soups. For children, there are face-painting stands, craft activities centered around pumpkins and autumn leaves, and small amusement rides. The festival runs until 6 p.m. — a compact, family-friendly event within a manageable timeframe.