Karlsfeld Settlers' Festival

The Folk Festival by the Lake

The Karlsfeld Siedlerfest is a staple in the Upper Bavarian festival calendar. Since 1957, the Siedlergemeinschaft Karlsfeld-Nord has organized this event, which is now known far beyond the borders of the Dachau district. The venue is the festival grounds on Karlsfelder Badesee — a setting that few folk festivals in Bavaria can offer: ten days of beer tent atmosphere, carousels, and brass band music right on the water.

Paulaner Tent of the Brandl Family

The centerpiece is the Paulanerzelt, which has been run by the Brandl family of innkeepers for years. A specially brewed festival beer from the Munich Paulaner brewery is served. Reservations for tables and booths are traditionally accepted from the beginning of April. The tent opens on weekdays from 11:30 AM, and on Sundays from 10:00 AM.

Program and Tradition

The program includes the grand parade on the first Saturday, the traditional beer tapping ceremony, an ecumenical church service on Sunday, the seniors' afternoon with a civic reception, a family day with reduced ride prices, the day of the clubs, a grand firework display on the second Friday, and the traditional raft jousting on the lake. On stage, brass bands from the Dachau region alternate with party bands and Bavarian inn musicians.

Karlsfeld and the Lake

The municipality of Karlsfeld is located in the Dachau district (Bavaria), immediately northwest of Munich. The lake, a former gravel pit, is the local recreation center for the community and is easily accessible from Munich by S-Bahn and MVV. During the Siedlerfest, folk festival atmosphere combines with summer evenings by the water — guests stroll between the festival tent, carousels, and the lake shore.

Getting There and Character

Admission to the festival grounds is free. Families from the Dachau district, northern Munich, and southern Fürstenfeldbruck, in particular, use the Siedlerfest as a summer meeting point. Anyone looking for a down-to-earth, traditional Upper Bavarian folk festival — far from the mass crowds of the Oktoberfest, but with identical charm — will find it here.