Junggesellen-Schützenfest & Jakobuskirmes Breckerfeld

One of Germany's Oldest Marksmen Traditions

The Junggesellen-Schützenfest Breckerfeld is organized by the Junggesellen-Schützenverein Breckerfeld 1396 e.V. – the founding date 1396 makes the association one of the oldest marksmen's associations in Germany. In parallel, the Hanseatic city of Breckerfeld traditionally celebrates the Jakobuskirmes, named after the city's patron saint, St. James the Greater. In 2026, the festival falls on the last weekend of July: July 24th to 27th, 2026.

The Schützenfest Program

The Schützenfest follows a classic Lower Rhenish-Westphalian sequence:

• Friday: "Tent Party" in the festival tent on the market square – the convivial start with DJ and live music
• Saturday: Assembling of the marksmen, procession to the shooting range on Wahnscheider Straße, farewell of the reigning king, King's Shoot, in the evening a parade with the presentation of the newly crowned king and King's Ball
• Sunday: Grand parade, joint service, festive morning pint in the festival tent
• Monday: Marksmen's wind-down, in the evening a grand fireworks display around 11:00 PM as the conclusion

The Jakobuskirmes

Parallel to the Schützenfest, Breckerfeld's city center transforms into a festival mile with rides and game stalls – this is the Jakobuskirmes. The transformation of the city is impressive: "a huge fairground mile", as the organizers describe it. Bumper cars, carousels, a Ferris wheel, food stalls, shooting galleries, and candy stalls line the central streets.

The Iconic Opening: Bell Ringing of Both Jakobus Churches

The Kirmes traditionally opens on Friday with the festive ringing of bells from both Jakobus churches – the Catholic and the Protestant city churches, both dedicated to St. James the Greater. The simultaneous ringing is a unique acoustic event that envelops the entire city center and gives the Kirmes its spiritual-historical framework.

Breckerfeld – The Smallest Hanseatic City

Breckerfeld is a town with around 8,800 inhabitants in the Ennepe-Ruhr district in North Rhine-Westphalia, located in the southern foothills of the Sauerland region between Hagen and Lüdenscheid. The town bears the rare title of Hanseatic City – a legacy of its medieval trading tradition, which made it one of the historical hubs between the Ruhr area and the Sauerland. Given its size, Breckerfeld is considered one of the smallest Hanseatic cities in Germany. The centuries-old connection between Hanseatic status, the patronage of St. James, and the marksmen's association from 1396 makes the festival weekend culturally exceptionally rich.