Kirmes Haupersweiler

Village Kirmes in the St. Wendel Region

The Kirmes Haupersweiler is an example of how vibrant club life continues to be in the small villages of Saarland. Haupersweiler is a district of the municipality of Freisen in the northern Sankt Wendel district, on the border with Rhineland-Palatinate's Birkenfeld district. The annual kirmes is traditionally celebrated in September.

Clubs as Organizers

Remarkable: The kirmes is not organized solely by a festival committee or the local mayor, but by a community association of four local clubs, who work hand in hand every year to set up the marquee, manage the catering, and plan the stage program. The municipality of Freisen explicitly praised the excellent cooperation of the clubs in a mayoral meeting.

Program Structure

The Kirmes Haupersweiler follows the classic pattern of a Saarland village kirmes:

• Friday evening — Opening with keg tapping, first dance evening with live band or DJ
• Saturday — Rides and stalls during the day, big dance evening in the evening (often the highlight band of the weekend)
• Sunday — Frühschoppen with a music club, family afternoon, festival winding down in the evening

What to Eat

Saarland-Palatinate cuisine: Schwenker (the Saarland national dish), Lyoner specialties, Bratwurst, fries, coffee and cake on Sunday afternoon. The clubs cook and serve themselves — this makes the atmosphere more familial than at commercial folk festivals.

Freisen — Municipality on the Edge of Saarland

Freisen is a small, sprawling municipality on the northern edge of Saarland, nestled between the Schwarzwälder Hochwald and the Pfälzer Bergland. The municipality consists of several districts, of which Haupersweiler is one of the smaller ones. Those who want to experience typical Saarland village culture will find it at local festivals like the Kirmes Haupersweiler.

Who Should Visit

Visitors from outside are warmly welcome, but should know: This is not a tourist spectacle, but a real village festival where almost everyone in the marquee knows everyone else. Those who appreciate authenticity will get their money's worth.