Kerwe Bolanden

The Kerwe Bolanden – "Bolanner Kerb" in the dialect – is the traditional village festival of the municipality of Bolanden in the Donnersberg district. Bolanden is located at the transition from the Donnersberg to the Rhine plain and belongs to the Göllheim administrative district. The Kerwe traditionally takes place at the beginning of September.

Palatinate Kerwe Customs

As everywhere in the Palatinate, the Kerwe customs with Kerweborsch (Kerwe boy), Kerweparrer (Kerwe pastor), and Kerwerede (Kerwe speech) shape the character of the festival. The Kerwe opens on Friday evening with the traditional keg tapping ceremony on the festival grounds. Evening dances in the festival tent with live music or a DJ, a morning pint (Frühschoppen) on Sunday morning, and Family Day on Monday form the other key elements. On Monday evening, the Kerwe is traditionally buried according to old customs – sometimes humorously as a "funeral," sometimes as a symbolic burning of the Kerwe doll.

The Grand Kerwe Parade

The hallmark of the Bolanner Kerb is the grand Kerwe parade on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 PM. Colorfully decorated floats from local clubs, the fire department, and agriculture, brass bands from the region, and in recent years, Guggemusik groups, parade through the village streets. The parade involves the community across generations in the festival's events and attracts guests from neighboring towns.

Bolanden – History and Present

Bolanden has a rich history: The Imperial Ministers of Bolanden were one of the most important families in the Holy Roman Empire during the High Middle Ages, and Bolanden Castle – now the Falkenstein Castle ruins in the immediate vicinity – bears witness to this past. Today, Bolanden is a residential community with a vibrant club life, which is vividly showcased during the Bolanner Kerb.