Hoymatfest Stadt Hoym

A Village Celebrates Itself

In Hoym, a small district of the municipality of Seeland in the Salzlandkreis district of the state of Saxony-Anhalt, the Hoymatfest is the most important event of the year. For three days, the area around the Gemeinschaftshaus (community hall) on Reinstedter Straße and the nearby village green transforms into a festival mile — with a beer tent, stage, games, and a program rooted in decades of tradition.

Despite its small scale, the festival has character. It is one of those genuine Heimatfeste (local festivals) that are still alive in many villages in Saxony-Anhalt, without inflating into a large-scale event. The organizer is Hoymat e.V. — a dedicated citizens' association that emerged from the former "Denkmalschutz Hoym e.V." and is committed to preserving the local appearance and community life. It is precisely this voluntary sponsorship that defines the festival: no commercial organizers, no major sponsors, but Hoym residents for Hoym residents — and for guests from the surrounding towns of Aschersleben, Bernburg, and the Ostharz region.

The program follows a pattern honed over the years: kickoff on Friday evening with a beer tapping ceremony, welcome by the mayor, and live music. Saturday is the main day — with a parade in the afternoon (traditionally featuring local clubs, the fire department, marksmen, and carnival groups), a children's program, games for adults, and a big dance event in the festival tent in the evening. Sunday concludes the festival with a morning pint (Frühschoppen), a communal lunch, and a family program.

Hoym itself is not unknown — the town received its town charter in 1320, has a remarkable Schloss (Hoym Castle, now home to a foundation), and belongs to the cultural landscape of the Vorharz region with the Bode and Selke rivers and the foothills of the Harz Mountains to the south. Visitors to the festival can extend their stay with a visit to the castle or a hike to the Konradsburg castle ruins in neighboring Ermsleben.

Tradition with Civic Spirit

What makes the Hoymatfest special is its consistently voluntary sponsorship. Hoymat e.V. organizes the festival together with the Hoymer Carneval Club, the local heritage society, and other local clubs. Free admission, moderate prices for food and drinks, free children's program — a festival like this hardly exists in big cities anymore.