Pear Festival Groß Kreutz

Pears from Havelland — a Festival Tradition

The Pear Festival in Groß Kreutz is one of the most beautiful harvest and village festivals in the Havelland region. Once a year — typically in September, as soon as the first pear varieties are ripe — the community gathers around the festival grounds to celebrate a local tradition that has been anchored in the Havelland for centuries: fruit cultivation, and especially regional pear varieties. The organizer is the Kulturförderverein Groß Kreutz e.V., which organizes the festival annually on a voluntary basis.

Havelland Pear Tradition

The Havelland, located between Berlin and Brandenburg an der Havel, has been a fruit-growing region for centuries — and the pear, in particular, has a special tradition here. Old varieties such as 'Williams Christ', 'Köstliche von Charneux', or the regional 'Werderaner Hofbirne' grow in the scattered orchards and home gardens of the region. The Pear Festival in Groß Kreutz is, not least, a showcase for this variety of sorts: regional fruit growers present their varieties, offer tasting bowls, provide information on ripening, processing, and storage — and of course, you can buy the pears directly.

Pear Cake, Pear Brandy, Pear Compote

What the pear yields goes far beyond fresh fruit. The Pear Festival showcases the entire culinary spectrum: pear cakes in numerous variations — from classic crumble cake to pear tart and pear cheesecake —, pear compote made from late varieties, pear brandy from Havelland distilleries, and pear specialties from confectioneries. Food stalls offer savory variations — pear with goat cheese, pear chutney for roasts, pear salads.

Music, Market, and Village Atmosphere

In addition to the culinary focus, the Pear Festival offers live music on stage (typically brass bands, regional bands, dance groups), a market with regional products (honey, cheese, sausage, baked goods, crafts), and a family program with children's activities. The Kulturförderverein sees the festival as a meeting point for the village community — former residents return, families from the Berlin commuter belt come for a peaceful day in the countryside, and the community shows its friendliest side.

Groß Kreutz in the District of Potsdam-Mittelmark

Groß Kreutz (Havel) is a small municipality in the district of Potsdam-Mittelmark, located on the right bank of the Havel River between Potsdam and Brandenburg an der Havel. With just under 8,000 inhabitants, Groß Kreutz is one of the smaller communities in the region — which shapes the character of the Pear Festival: an authentic village festival, not a large tourist event. Those arriving from Berlin or Potsdam can reach the town in a 30 to 60-minute drive via the B 1 or the A 10. Travel by train is possible via Werder (Havel) and then by bus.

2026 — Classic Format After 725th Anniversary Celebration

In 2025, the Pear Festival was combined with the town's 725th anniversary celebration, making that year's event particularly grand. In 2026, the festival returns to its classic format — without the anniversary overlay, but with a concentrated focus on pears and local village tradition. The exact date in September will be announced by the municipality of Groß Kreutz in summer 2026 on gross-kreutz.de and by the Kulturförderverein.