Kirchfest St. Marien Horst-Karnap

Parish Festival in the Gelsenkirchen-Essen Border Area

The Kirchfest St. Marien Horst-Karnap is the annual summer festival of the St. Marien parish in northern Gelsenkirchen-Horst and southern Essen-Karnap — right on the city border between the two Ruhr area cities. In 2026, the festival will take place on Saturday and Sunday, June 27 and 28, around the community centre. The organiser is the Förderverein St. Marien e.V., which has been supporting the former parish church and its community work for years.

Saturday, June 27 — Summer Festival at the Community Centre

The event kicks off on Saturday evening from 5 PM: the square around the community centre transforms into an open summer festival. Drinks stalls — beer, wine, non-alcoholic beverages — and barbecue stations with bratwurst and steaks provide refreshments. Live music and a children's programme with games round off the evening. If the weather is good, there will also be dancing in the forecourt.

Sunday, June 28 — Open-Air Service and Family Programme

Sunday begins at 11 AM with the open-air service — in good weather directly in the square in front of the church, in case of rain in the community centre. Afterwards, a colourful family programme:

• Morning pint (Frühschoppen) with music
• Waffles, potato pancakes (Reibekuchen), bratwurst
• Café with coffee, tea, cakes, and pastries from 2 PM
• Children's games — bouncy castle, face painting, tombola for children
• Grand tombola with prize draw on Sunday afternoon

Support Association and Pastoral Care

The proceeds from the Kirchfest go back into the pastoral and social work of the parish at the St. Marien location. The support association was founded after the formerly independent parish of St. Marien Karnap merged into the parish of St. Hippolytus in Gelsenkirchen-Horst — it keeps the community life at the location vibrant and supports activities for older community members, children's groups, and church renovations.

Gelsenkirchen-Horst and Essen-Karnap — Northern Ruhr Area Border Location

The St. Marien parish is located on the border between Gelsenkirchen-Horst and Essen-Karnap — both districts in the northern Ruhr area in North Rhine-Westphalia. Karnap is the northernmost district of Essen, Horst the western edge of Gelsenkirchen. The region is characterised by its former coal and steel industry (Karnap power station, Mathias Stinnes colliery, Nordstern colliery). The parish festival serves as a social meeting point for residents of both districts and bridges the administrative city border.

Parish of St. Hippolytus — Higher-Level Structure

The Parish of St. Hippolytus in Gelsenkirchen-Horst is the responsible large parish for several former independent parishes in Horst and the surrounding area after the parish reform in the Diocese of Essen — including St. Marien Karnap. It is one of the vibrant Catholic communities in the northern Ruhr area with a variety of clubs, activities, and volunteers.