Name: Menden Spring with Medieval Market and Jousting Tournament 2026
Start: 2026-04-11T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-04-12T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Innenstadt Menden

Menden Spring

About Menden Spring

When Menden welcomes spring, the Middle Ages return to the city center. On April 11 and 12, 2026, from 11 AM to 6 PM each day, the Sauerland town transforms into a historical market scene with craftsmen, jugglers, falconers, and three jousting tournament performances. The Sunday shopping event from 1 PM to 6 PM offers an additional draw — family program and free admission (tournament tickets sold separately).

Dates 11 Apr — 12 Apr 2026

Venue Menden (Sauerland) (05962)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Menden Spring — edition 2026

Tickets →

Two days of medieval market and jousting tournament in Menden's city center on April 11 and 12, 2026, from 11 AM to 6 PM daily. Sunday features Sunday shopping from 1 PM to 6 PM. Three jousting tournament performances, jugglers, falconers, blacksmiths, camp life.

The Menden Spring 2026 transforms the pedestrian zone into a historical market. Over both days, there will be craft and trade stalls, camps with historical tents, a wooden Ferris wheel, and medieval food stands. The artistic program features the juggler Jeremias, the music group Porca Pellere, and the storytelling theater Fabulix. Three jousting tournament performances per day are the highlight; tickets must be booked separately.

Highlights Menden Spring 2026

Medieval market through Menden's city center
Jousting tournament with 6 performances over the weekend
Sunday shopping 1 PM–6 PM
Jugglers, falconers, blacksmiths, storytelling theater
Free entry to the market

Programme Menden Spring 2026

Saturday, April 11, 2026 — 11 AM–6 PM

Opening of the medieval market in the city center
Performances: Juggler Jeremias, Porca Pellere
Blacksmith demonstrations and craft stalls
Falconry displays
Three jousting tournament shows (tickets sold separately)
Little juggler school and Fabulix storytelling theater

Sunday, April 12, 2026 — 11 AM–6 PM

Market and program as on Saturday
1 PM–6 PM — Sunday shopping
Three more jousting tournament shows
Historical camp life and food stalls

Prices Menden Spring 2026

Market entry is free. Jousting tournament tickets are sold separately via stadtmarketing-menden.de.

Practical information

Practical information — Menden Spring

Getting There

Menden train station (RB54 from Dortmund/Iserlohn), then a 5-minute walk to the city center. By car: A46 exit Menden, then follow signs for city center parking garages at the station and Wilhelmsplatz.

Admission

Market entry and program are free. Jousting tournament tickets are sold separately (via stadtmarketing-menden.de). Food and medieval snacks are priced individually.

Tip

Saturday afternoon and Sunday during the open shopping hours are the busiest times. Families with children are best advised to come in the morning to enjoy the little juggler school and falconry without the crowds.

Menden Spring — Medieval Magic in the Sauerland

The Menden Spring marks the start of the event season in the Sauerland town of Menden. Instead of a classic spring fair, the town has opted for a much more attractive concept: a medieval market with a jousting tournament, which takes place annually in the city center on the second weekend of April. In 2026, the festival runs on April 11 and 12, from 11 AM to 6 PM daily.

Medieval Market Through the City Center

Stalls from traders and craftsmen stretch across the pedestrian zone and adjacent squares: blacksmiths demonstrate their skills live, leatherworkers, basket weavers, and felt makers showcase historical techniques, and potters shape jugs on the wheel. Spice merchants, mead taverns, bakers with 'Stockbrot' (stick bread), and medieval snack stands ensure culinary authenticity.

Jugglers, Falconers, and Children's Program

The artistic program features "Der Gaukler Jeremias" (The Juggler Jeremias), the musical group "Porca Pellere", the "kleine Gauklerschule" (little juggler school) for hands-on activities, and the storytelling theater Fabulix for children. Falconers present bird-of-prey demonstrations, a historical wooden Ferris wheel rolls through the city center, and camp life with historical tents offers a glimpse into medieval daily life.

Three Jousting Tournament Shows

The absolute highlight: the jousting tournament with three performances per day. Mounted knights compete in lance duels, jousting, and staged combat. Veh- und Mercatus, one of Germany's most professional medieval event organizers, ensures historically accurate reenactments. Tickets for the jousting tournament must be booked separately — market entry itself is free.

Sunday Shopping

On Sunday, April 12, 2026, Menden's shops open their doors from 1 PM to 6 PM — Sunday shopping combined with the medieval market. A clever combination that brings several thousand additional visitors from across the Sauerland region to the city center.

Menden in the Märkisches Sauerland

The town of Menden (Sauerland) is located in the Märkischer Kreis district (North Rhine-Westphalia) between Iserlohn and Arnsberg. With its historic old town, parts of which still date back to the Middle Ages, it is the ideal stage for such a festival. The Menden Spring is organized by StadtMarketing Menden GmbH, which also organizes the Pentecost festival, the Christmas market, and other city events.