Lecker Bürgerfest

Leck — Market town in the North Frisian Geest

Leck is a market town in the Südtondern office in the district of Nordfriesland in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. With around 7,800 inhabitants, Leck is one of the larger municipalities in northern Schleswig-Holstein, just a few kilometres from the Danish border. The Lecker Bürgerfest is the central town festival and has been the most important social event of the municipality for over three decades.

Bürgerfestverein Leck e. V. — the voluntary sponsorship

The organizer is the Bürgerfestverein Leck e. V. — a registered association with numerous volunteers from the entire local area. The association has been organizing the Bürgerfest since the late 1980s and creates a programme every year that involves the Leck community, local clubs, restaurateurs, and artists.

Friday — Theatre and Concert

The festival Friday begins in the afternoon in a family-friendly manner with children's theatre. In 2025, "Oh, wie schön ist Panama" (based on Janosch) was on the programme, free for children aged 4 and over. In the evening, a concert follows in the Leck-Huus — the former municipal council hall and cultural centre of the municipality. In 2025, the Dragonflys played from 8:00 PM.

Saturday — Bürgerfrühstück and Bunte Meile

Festival Saturday is the busiest day of the programme:

• 8:00 AM — Bürgerfrühstück (fee required, registration) — communal breakfast for Leck citizens and guests
• Morning — the longest street flea market in Südtondern along the main street — hundreds of private sellers, hundreds of bargain hunters
• Afternoon and Evening — the Bunte Meile: kilometres of the main street with street artists, live stage music, children's activities (face painting, game stations)
• Evening until midnight — Danz op de Straat (dance on the street) on two live stages — exuberant festival atmosphere with bands and dancing

Sunday — Family Day in the Augarten

Festival Sunday moves the programme to the Augarten — the central park of the municipality, through which the Lecker Au, the eponymous stream, flows. Programme:

• Ecumenical church service in the morning
• Bouncy castles, game stations, pirate camp with show performances
• Face painting and craft activities for children
• Lecker Entenrennen — the famous landmark of the Bürgerfest: thousands of yellow plastic ducks are released into the Lecker Au, floating towards the finish line with the current, each participant can buy a duck and thus contribute to the proceeds — prizes for the fastest ducks
• Festival finale in the afternoon with a large fireworks display around 5:00 PM

The Lecker Entenrennen — a landmark

The Lecker Entenrennen is the iconic centrepiece of the Bürgerfest — a charming combination of fun, games, family entertainment, and social engagement (the proceeds go to local club funding). Anyone attending the Bürgerfest buys a numbered plastic duck — and on Sunday afternoon, the whole village gathers by the Lecker Au to see which ducks win. A tradition that connects generations.