Mainzer Fastnacht — Finthen District Parade

District Parades: Mainz Fastnacht in the Neighborhood

While the major Mainz parades – especially the Rosenmontagszug (Rose Monday Parade) and the Kinder- und Jugendmaskenzug (Children and Youth Mask Parade) – take place in the city center, the district parades keep the Mainz Fastnacht culture alive in the neighborhoods. They are smaller, more personal, more neighborly, and traditionally organized by local carnival clubs. In Finthen, this parade has a fixed date on Fastnacht Saturday and is as much a part of the district as the Christmas market or the parish festival.

Finthen: A District in Western Mainz

Mainz-Finthen is located on the western edge of the city and was an independent municipality until its incorporation in 1969. With its nearly 14,000 inhabitants, the district has a vibrant club life, a distinct Fastnacht tradition, and a strong identity as a 'village in the big city'. The Fastnacht parade embodies this identity for one afternoon a year.

Course and Atmosphere

The parade starts punctually at 2:11 PM – the jester's hour – and proceeds through the town center. Families from Finthen and the adjacent districts of Drais, Lerchenberg, and Gonsenheim gather along the route. Guards in historical uniforms, walking groups with creative theme ideas, local clubs, music bands, small floats, and children's groups form the procession. Participants throw sweets and 'Strüssjer' into the crowd – a central ritual of Mainz Fastnacht.

Embedded in the Main Fastnacht Week

The Finthen parade is part of a dense calendar of district parades, which provides a parade for practically every Mainz district in the four days from Fastnacht Friday to Fastnacht Tuesday. This makes Mainz Fastnacht unique in Germany in its sheer density.