Kevelaerer Himmelfahrtskirmes

Kirmes in the Pilgrimage Town of Kevelaer

The Kevelaerer Himmelfahrtskirmes is the most important secular event in the pilgrimage town of Kevelaer. While Kevelaer is primarily known regionally as a Marian pilgrimage site – one of Germany's largest with 800,000 pilgrims annually – the Himmelfahrtskirmes reveals the town's other face: celebrating Lower Rhine locals, families, and showmen. Date: traditionally around Ascension Day, the holiday falling on the 39th day after Easter.

Peter-Plümpe-Platz as Festival Grounds

The venue is Peter-Plümpe-Platz in Kevelaer's town center – a central, spacious square that is completely transformed into festival grounds for the five days. The evening illumination of the rides creates a characteristic Lower Rhine Kirmes atmosphere, providing typical postcard motifs.

Five Days of Program

The Kirmes runs for five days:

• Thursday (Ascension Day) May 14th — festive opening with keg tapping
• Friday May 15th — full operation
• Saturday May 16th — grand parade through Kevelaer's town center, highlight of the Kirmes days
• Sunday May 17th — family day
• Monday May 18th — winding down

Classic rides: bumper cars, Ferris wheel, carousel, swing boat, roller coaster, chain carousel. Plus typical food stalls with potato pancakes (Reibekuchen) with apple sauce, bratwurst, fries, crêpes, lard pastries, candied almonds. Beer and cocktails at the bars, family entertainment during the day.

Lower Rhine, Netherlands, and Italy

As a pilgrimage town, Kevelaer has an unusually international appeal: Dutch pilgrims are only 20 km away, and Italian pilgrims have been fostering Marian devotion in Kevelaer since the 17th century (with their own Italian pilgrimages). The Kirmes benefits from this international audience – during Ascension Day, Dutch and Italians are regular guests.

Kevelaer in the Kleve District

With around 28,000 inhabitants, Kevelaer is a town in the Kleve district on the Lower Rhine. Besides the pilgrimage, it is also known for the Lower Rhine Museum of Folklore and Cultural History, the Candle Chapel, and the Forstgarten park. For day trips, the Netherlands (Nijmegen, Venlo) and other Lower Rhine pilgrimage sites (Marienthal, Mariä Heimsuchung) are nearby.