Kulturpicknick auf Consol

Pentecost in Consolpark — Family Culture Without a Ticket Price

The Kulturpicknick auf Consol is one of the most charming Pentecost weekend formats in the Ruhr area: three days of open-air culture on the Consol cultural grounds in Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck, one of the most exciting repurposed colliery sites in the northern Ruhr area. Free admission, with a program explicitly designed for families, featuring a mix of art workshops, stage acts, and free sports equipment rental. Organized by the City of Gelsenkirchen in cooperation with Gelsensport, it is one of the purely "gifts to the city community" events that should be more common.

Three Days, Three Program Atmospheres

The festival is structured over three days, each with its own character:

Friday — Opening Night

• 6:00 PM–10:00 PM — Festival opening, traditional "Singing around the Campfire" with Michael Völkel, Light-Dance

Saturday — Main Activity Day

• 3:00 PM–10:00 PM — Full program
• Hands-on workshops: Watercolor, Graffiti, Circus, Soap Bubbles, Photography
• DJ sets, walking acts, circus performances, music games, theater, drum groups, fire show in the evening

Sunday — Children's Culture Day

• 11:00 AM–3:00 PM — Morning program
• Children's theater
• Creative workshops with the Art School
• Book-Bike (library on wheels)
• Circus Schnick-Schnack

Hands-on Workshops for All Age Groups

The workshop offerings are exceptionally diverse. Watercolor workshops for children and adults, graffiti courses (led by professional sprayers), introductory juggling and acrobatics courses by Circus Schnick-Schnack, soap bubble science (giant bubbles!), and photo workshops. All workshops are free, and materials are provided.

Sports Equipment for Free Rental

A special feature: Gelsensport provides sports and games equipment for free rental throughout the entire festival duration — frisbees, skateboards, inline skates, balls, small slacklines, and much more. The trend sports facility on the Consol grounds offers the ideal venue for this: an open, asphalted area with ramps, a half-pipe, and beach sports facilities. With a good picnic atmosphere, the family program can easily be extended into an all-day stay.

Consol — Gelsenkirchen-Bismarck's Cultural Colliery

The Consol grounds are one of the most successful redevelopments of a Ruhr area colliery. Where Consolidation colliery mined hard coal until 1997, there is now a mixed cultural and sports area with an event hall, climbing hall, trend sports facility, artist studios, and park areas. The old mining industrial architecture is preserved as an industrial monument and forms the striking backdrop for the festival.

Bring Your Own Picnic — Blankets Available for Rent

The name says it all: Your own picnic baskets are explicitly welcome. Those who don't have a blanket can rent one for a deposit. Food and drinks will also be offered at festival stands. The atmosphere is family-friendly, intergenerational, and decidedly relaxed.