Osterkirmes Homburg

The largest spring folk festival in the Saarpfalz district

Homburg is located in the east of Saarland, on the border with the Palatinate. The city is the seat of the Saarpfalz district and, with almost 43,000 inhabitants, one of the larger cities in the state – not least due to the University Hospital of Saarland. The Osterkirmes (Easter funfair) is the most important spring festival here and is a fixed part of the event calendar: it opens the folk festival season in the Saarpfalz district in April.

The Festplatz Am Forum

The folk festival takes place on the centrally located Festplatz Am Forum. On around one hectare of land, showmen set up their rides and stalls. Classics like dodgems, Break-Dancer, and the Miami carousel stand alongside carousels for children, shooting galleries, trampolines, and snack stands with Saarland specialities like Schwenker and Lyoner sausage.

Family Day with half prices

A special feature of the Homburg Osterkirmes is the Family Day on Tuesday: most rides offer their rides at half price on this day. This makes Tuesday evening the busiest day of the entire event – parents with children often come to Homburg from all over the Saarpfalz district.

Fireworks to conclude

The traditional conclusion of the Osterkirmes is a large fireworks display on the last evening of the festival. In good weather, thousands of visitors gather around the festival grounds and in the surrounding streets.

Beer tent and Schwenker culture

In addition to the rides, the beer tent is an integral part of the funfair: adults, in particular, meet here for a cozy evening with hearty food and cool drinks. Schwenker (marinated steaks prepared on a Schwenkgrill) are considered a national dish in Saarland – and at the Osterkirmes, they are available in numerous variations.