Heßheimer Kerwe

The Heßheimer Kerwe, with its five festival days, is one of the longest Kerwen in the northern Vorderpfalz. It always takes place on the fourth weekend in August according to old tradition and offers a complete folk festival program from Thursday or Friday to Monday.

Bleichstraße Festival Grounds

The venue for the Kerwe is the Bleichstraße festival grounds in the center of the municipality of Heßheim. The grounds offer ample space for a large festival tent, a stage, and several stands from local clubs. Bratwurst, Saumagen, Leberknödel, Flammkuchen, Palatinate wine, and beer are standard offerings.

Opening with Keg Tapping and Free Eichbaum Beer

The festival opening on Friday evening at 6:30 PM is a special moment: The local mayor performs the traditional keg tapping and proclaims the Palatinate's equivalent of "O'zapft is". Afterwards, there is free beer from the Mannheim private brewery Eichbaum, a traditional partner of many Palatinate festivals. This free beer ritual is one of the hallmarks of the Heßheimer Kerwe and ensures well-filled beer mugs and exuberant festival tent atmosphere.

Kerwe Parade

The Kerwe parade – usually on Saturday afternoon or Sunday – is another highlight. The Heßheimer Kerweborscht group, clubs, brass bands, and festively decorated floats parade through the town center. The highlight of the parade is the humorous Kerwerede (Kerwe speech) in the Palatinate dialect, in which the Kerweborscht satirically comment on the local events of the past year.

Club Life in Heßheim

Like all Palatinate Kerwen, the Heßheimer Kerwe thrives on the voluntary commitment of local clubs. The fire department, sports club, music club, carnival club, and the Kerweborscht group are responsible for manning the stands, the stage, and the overall organization. The proceeds flow into club activities and social projects.

Heßheim in the Lambsheim-Heßheim Collective Municipality

Since 2018, Heßheim has belonged to the Lambsheim-Heßheim collective municipality, along with Lambsheim and Beindersheim. The collective municipality comprises around 13,000 inhabitants and is located between Frankenthal and Bad Dürkheim, on the northern edge of the Rhein-Pfalz district. The Heßheimer Kerwe is one of the defining festivals of the collective municipality and attracts thousands of guests annually.