Name: Kerwa Kunreuth 2026
Start: 2026-07-03T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-06T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Gasthaus zum Schloss / Ortskern Kunreuth

Kerwa Kunreuth

About Kerwa Kunreuth

From July 3 to 6, 2026, Kunreuth in Upper Franconia, Forchheim district, will celebrate its traditional Kerwa around the Gasthaus zum Schloss. Four days of events: raising the Kerwabaum (fair pole) on Friday, a festive weekend with a marquee and brass music, a celebratory church service and dancing in the marquee on Sunday, and on Monday, the traditional Betzenaustanzen (a custom involving dancing around a bouquet) – a typical Franconian custom where the dance around the last bouquet marks the climax of the Kerwa. A small, rustic Kirchweih in the Franconian Switzerland that brings the village life together for communal dancing.

Dates 03 Jul — 06 Jul 2026

Venue Kunreuth (09474)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Kerwa Kunreuth — edition 2026

The Kerwa Kunreuth 2026 takes place from July 3 to 6 around the Gasthaus zum Schloss. Program: Raising of the Kerwabaum on Friday, festival marquee with brass music on Saturday, celebratory church service and dance evening on Sunday, and on Monday, the traditional Betzenaustanzen, which officially concludes the Kerwa.

The Kerwa Kunreuth 2026 is firmly anchored in the Kirchweih directory of the Franconian Switzerland: July 3–6, 2026. The organizers are the local associations of Kunreuth, including the lads' and lasses' clubs, the fire brigade, and the music club.

The program framework is the same as every year: Friday evening raising of the Kerwabaum, Saturday festival marquee evening, Sunday morning celebratory church service and Frühschoppen, Monday afternoon Betzenaustanzen with the crowning of the Kerwa couple.

Highlights Kerwa Kunreuth 2026

Raising of the Kerwabaum on Friday, celebratory church service and Frühschoppen on Sunday, Betzenaustanzen with crowning of the Kerwa couple on Monday.

Programme Kerwa Kunreuth 2026

Friday, July 3, 2026 — Raising of the Kerwabaum

Afternoon: Setup in the village center
Evening: Raising of the Kerwabaum with long poles, brass music by the local band
Followed by the opening of the festival marquee with beer tapping

Saturday, July 4, 2026 — Festival Evening

Daytime: Preparations, festival marquee open in the evening
Evening: Dance evening with the festival band

Sunday, July 5, 2026 — Kerwa Sunday

Morning: Celebratory church service
Frühschoppen in the festival marquee with brass music
Midday: Franconian Kerwa lunch
Afternoon: Children's and family program
Evening: Dance evening

Monday, July 6, 2026 — Betzenaustanzen

Afternoon: Betzenaustanzen by the Kerwasburschen and -madla
Crowning of the Kerwa couple 2026
Evening: Festival finale in the marquee

Prices Kerwa Kunreuth 2026

Free admission. Food and drinks at Franconian inn prices (beer approx. €4, main courses €8–€13).

Practical information

Practical information — Kerwa Kunreuth

Getting there

By car via the A9 (exit Pegnitz or Trockau), then state road into the Franconian Switzerland. Also accessible via the A73 (exit Forchheim). Parking available on the outskirts of the village.

Admission

Free admission to the festival grounds and the marquee. Food and drinks at Franconian inn prices.

When to visit

Friday evening for the Kerwabaum-Aufstellen, Sunday morning for the celebratory church service and Frühschoppen, Monday afternoon for the Betzenaustanzen.

Kerwa at Schloss Kunreuth

The Kerwa Kunreuth takes place around the Gasthaus zum Schloss in the village center. It is organized by the local associations of Kunreuth – an alliance of the lads' and lasses' clubs, marksmen, fire brigade, and music club – as a joint village festival on the first weekend of July (Friday to Monday). It is listed in the Franconian Kirchweih directory and is part of the classic summer Kerwa calendar for the Forchheim district.

Four Days of Events in Franconian Tradition

The festival kicks off on Friday with the raising of the Kerwabaum: the Kerwasburschen (fair lads) peel a long trunk, decorate it with colorful ribbons and a wreath, and erect it with long poles accompanied by music – one of the most beautiful spectacles of Franconian folk culture. Afterwards, the festival marquee opens for convivial gatherings.

Celebratory Church Service and Inn Atmosphere on Sunday

On Sunday, the celebratory church service takes place in the morning – often following the Main Franconian tradition of a service in the marquee if the parish church is too small. This is followed by a morning pint (Frühschoppen) with the brass band, a Kerwa lunch for families at midday, games for children in the afternoon, and a dance evening in the marquee.

Betzenaustanzen on Monday

The highlight of the Kerwa is the Betzenaustanzen on Monday: the Kerwasburschen and -madla (fair lads and lasses) dance in pairs around a bouquet – the "Betzen". When the music stops, the couple holding the bouquet is eliminated. The last remaining couple is crowned the Kerwa couple of the year – an honor that is taken seriously in Franconian villages and carried for a year. The Betzenaustanzen officially concludes the Kerwa.

Kunreuth in the Franconian Switzerland

Kunreuth is located in the Forchheim district in Upper Franconia (Bavaria), in the heart of the Franconian Switzerland – a low mountain range between Bayreuth and Nuremberg, characterized by rocks, castles, and dripstone caves. The village has about 1,200 inhabitants, a 16th-century Protestant castle (now the Gasthaus zum Schloss), and is one of the many small places in the region where the Kerwa tradition is still actively maintained.