Kerwa Marktschorgast

Kerwa as Upper Franconian Identity

"Kerwa" is the Franconian form of the word Kirchweih — the festival day celebrating the consecration of the local church. In Upper Franconia, the Kerwa, alongside the local Volksfest (public festival) and the Christmas market season, forms the most important element of village and small-town festival culture. Marktschorgast, as a market town in the Kulmbach district, has been cultivating this tradition for centuries — simultaneously the patron saint's festival of the Catholic parish church of St. Jakobus the Elder.

Three-Day Format

The Kerwa traditionally runs from Friday evening to Sunday evening, and in some years, until Monday. Festival opening on Friday with a beer tapping ceremony, live music on Saturday evening, the central Patron Saint's Service in St. Jakobus on Sunday (usually 10:15 AM), followed by a morning pint, a parade through the town, and festivities in the beer tent until late in the evening.

Franconian Delicacies and Festival Beer

Classic Franconian specialties are served: Schäuferla (pork shoulder), bratwurst roll, potato salad, grilled chicken, and a cake buffet on Sunday afternoon. Beers from Upper Franconian breweries are on tap, usually Kulmbacher and smaller regional breweries. Local associations handle the catering.

Marktschorgast and the Fichtelgebirge

Marktschorgast is located in the northern Kulmbach district on the edge of the Fichtelgebirge, on the Bamberg–Hof railway line. With just under 1,500 inhabitants, the market town is a typical Upper Franconian small town with the characteristic market status — historically the right to hold markets — and its own municipal autonomy. The Kerwa is one of the fixed dates in the annual calendar.