Over 200 Years of Tradition — Four Days of Heritage Festival with School Parade on Wilhelmshöhe
The Leutkirch Children's Festival is one of the oldest heritage festivals in Baden-Württemberg. The first verifiable predecessors date back to the early 19th century, when schools, citizens, and clubs jointly maintained the tradition. Today, the festival is firmly in the hands of Leutkirch's schools, clubs, and the town community — a four-day heritage festival in midsummer that thrives on the traditions of the Allgäu region.
The venue is Wilhelmshöhe, a festival meadow dotted with light oaks on the edge of the old town, just a few minutes' walk from the market square and St. Martin's Church. The festival backdrop between old oaks and forests is one of the characteristic images of the Leutkirch summer. The meadow features a large festival tent, a classic funfair with rides, club stalls, food stands, and stages.
The highlight of the festival is the colorful school parade on Tuesday, the last day of the festival. Hundreds of Leutkirch schoolchildren march through the old town in historical costumes, occupational outfits, traditional Allgäu clothing, and as fairy tale characters. They are accompanied by music bands, floats, riders, and festival groups — a picture book of Allgäu customs. Thousands of spectators line the streets, many coming from all over the Allgäu region specifically for this morning.
The local clubs deliberately organize a child-friendly program as a contrast to the commercial funfair: hands-on activities, craft workshops, children's games, sports competitions, school performances, storytelling, and old-fashioned children's games. The festival aims not only to entertain but also to pass on Allgäu heritage culture to the next generation.
A special feature of the Leutkirch Children's Festival is the delegations from the partner towns: Bédarieux, Lamalou-les-Bains, and Hérépian from Southern France, as well as Castiglione delle Stiviere from Italy. Representatives from these towns come to Leutkirch with their own groups, traditional costumes, and gifts — living town twinning during the Allgäu summer days.
Leutkirch in the Allgäu is located in the Ravensburg district in southern Baden-Württemberg, on the eastern edge of the Upper Swabian hill country bordering the Allgäu. The former imperial city with its well-preserved old town, the Bock Tower, and the town walls is one of the most beautiful medium-sized towns in the region.
The festival begins on Saturday with the traditional tapping of the first keg in the festival tent. Sunday and Monday feature festival evenings, live music by the Leutkirch town band and friendly Allgäu bands, as well as the folk festival program with carousels, showmen, and club stalls.
Tuesday is both a school day and a festival day: in the morning, Leutkirch schools parade through the old town with historical costumes, floats, riders, and music bands — the parade is the undisputed highlight of the weekend. In the afternoon, the festival concludes with a children's program and a wind-down in the festival tent.
Note: Some sources mention additional opening events on Friday, July 17th (town band anniversary or pre-evening program) — final program details will be confirmed in early July on leutkirch.de and kinderfest-leutkirch.de.
Admission to the festival grounds is free. Festival tent catering at usual prices (beer 0.5 l approx. 4.50 EUR, festive meal 9–14 EUR). Rides and game stalls 2–5 EUR per attempt. School parade along the route is free.
Leutkirch im Allgäu is located on the A 96 (Munich–Lindau, Leutkirch exit). Accessible by train directly from Memmingen, Aulendorf, or Lindau. It is a 15-minute walk from Leutkirch station to Wilhelmshöhe. On festival days, shuttle buses run from P+R parking lots on the outskirts of town.
Admission to the festival grounds is free. Rides and game stalls are subject to a fee. Festival tent catering at usual folk festival prices. The school parade on Tuesday is accessible free of charge along the route.
Tourist Information Leutkirch im Allgäu: 07561 87-154. Further information at www.kinderfest-leutkirch.de.
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