Hüsten Funfair

The Largest Folk Festival in the Sauerland Region

The Hüsten Funfair is not only one of the most important folk festivals in Westphalia – it is considered the largest folk festival in the Sauerland region. Over five festival days, around 300,000 visitors flock to the traditional Riggenweide fairground. The 2026 edition runs from Friday, September 11 to Tuesday, September 15 – a classic Sauerland weekend that brings late summer to Arnsberg-Hüsten with great excitement.

Riggenweide Fairground on Arnsberger Straße

The Riggenweide fairground is located on Arnsberger Straße in the Hüsten district – right at the entrance to the Sauerland low mountain range. Fairground attractions, food stalls, festival tents, and a classic folk festival layout with a main street, side alleys, and a central square spread across approximately 50,000 square meters. Eight large rides (bumper cars, Twister, Mr. Gravity, Booster, Ferris wheel, Looping coaster), plus children's carousels, shooting galleries, lottery stalls, tasting stands, and three large beer tents shape the scene.

Program Highlights

Sunday — Family Day

Sunday is traditionally the most family-friendly day with lower ride prices and children's entertainment in the early afternoon.

Monday — Livestock Market

A Sauerland specialty: the livestock market on Monday. A tradition from the time when Hüsten was a central trading post for the rural region – today it has more of a show character with farm animals, horses, poultry, and demonstrations from the agricultural world. A vibrant piece of cultural history in the middle of the funfair.

Tuesday — Closing Fireworks

The spectacular highlight is the closing fireworks on Tuesday evening (09/15) around 10:15 PM. Approximately 20 minutes of pyrotechnics over the Riggenweide – celebrated by many from the Sauerland region as the indispensable season finale of the folk festival year. Those sitting in the beer tent step outside for at least the last few minutes. Those standing on the festival grounds have a clear view of the effects over the Hochsauerland horizon.

Traditional Rituals: Auction of Wooden Cones and Funfair Song

Two customs have accompanied the Hüsten Funfair for generations. The auction of hand-carved wooden cones takes place annually – the proceeds go to charities and associations. In addition, the Hüsten Funfair song, which has existed in several versions since the 20th century and is sung in the beer tents and on the parades – an identity marker that distinguishes the Hüsten Funfair from interchangeable folk festivals.

Safety Campaign 2026

The 2026 edition emphasizes safety: in cooperation with local pharmacies, a prevention campaign against date rape drugs and drug-facilitated assaults is running. Posters, stickers, and awareness materials are distributed throughout the festival grounds – the goal is to make potential victims more aware and to deter potential perpetrators.

Hüsten and the Sauerland Region

Arnsberg is the district town of the Hochsauerlandkreis – the largest district in North Rhine-Westphalia by area – and is considered the gateway to the Sauerland low mountain range. Hüsten is one of the largest districts with an independent identity: industrially shaped (formerly steelworks, today medium-sized businesses), but also a gateway to Sauerland tourism. The Hüsten Funfair is the largest city festival in the entire region – anyone from the Sauerland region has visited the Hüsten Funfair as a child or teenager and knows the atmosphere of the beer tents and rides on the slope of the Riggenweide.