Pumpkin Festival at Diesdorf Open-Air Museum

Diesdorf Open-Air Museum — Folk Culture of the Altmark

The Diesdorf Open-Air Museum is one of the oldest open-air museums in Germany (founded in 1911) and showcases original farmhouses, mills, smithies, bakehouses, and workshops from across the entire Altmark region on its extensive grounds. The relocated buildings form a living village, conveying the rural everyday culture of the northwestern Saxony-Anhalt region between the 17th and 20th centuries. Throughout the museum year, a series of themed festivals are held – the Autumn Pumpkin Festival is among the most popular.

In the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel

Diesdorf is located in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, the westernmost district of Saxony-Anhalt, on the border with Lower Saxony. The region is characterized by forests, heathlands, small villages, and a distinct rural identity – precisely the environment the open-air museum documents. The Pumpkin Festival translates this cultural work into a very enjoyable, family-friendly format: autumn, pumpkins, a bonfire, and food made from regional ingredients.

What to expect at the Pumpkin Festival

Classic program elements of a Diesdorf Pumpkin Festival include: pumpkin carving for children, a small exhibition of various pumpkin varieties from regional growers, tasting stands with pumpkin soup, pumpkin cake, pumpkin fries, and similar seasonal specialties, live craft demonstrations (blacksmithing, woodturning, pottery, spinning, weaving), tractor and horse-drawn carriage rides across the museum grounds, and a bonfire at dusk. The event is accompanied by folk music, specifically North German folk music from the Altmark.

An annual event in the Altmark calendar

The Pumpkin Festival on October 10, 2026, falls within the traditional harvest festival and autumn program of the Altmark. Those planning a trip to western Saxony-Anhalt can ideally combine their visit with a tour of the old town of Salzwedel or a stop at the Drömling nature park.