Pittersdorfer Zeltkerwa

An Upper Franconian Kerwa with a Long Tradition

The Pittersdorfer Zeltkerwa is one of the most traditional village festivals in the Franconian Switzerland and the Hummelgau region. It is organized by the "Frohsinn" Pittersdorf Youth Club, a club whose roots trace back to 1892 and which has always been dedicated to preserving Franconian customs, fostering social cohesion in the village, and supporting the younger generation.

Festival Tent on Seeligstraße

The venue for the event is the large festival tent on Seeligstraße in the Pittersdorf district of Hummeltal municipality (Bayreuth district, Bavaria). There are no parking spaces directly at the festival tent itself, so arriving within the village is recommended – a typical feature of many rural Kerwa sites in Upper Franconia.

Multi-day Program of Customs and Party Nights

The Kerwa usually runs from Thursday evening to Sunday evening. The recurring schedule combines rural charm with modern entertainment:

• Thursday: Opening with Schäuferla (pork shoulder) dinner and live music (in the past, for example, with the »Starkstromtrio«)
• Friday: Party night with a DJ and lively atmosphere until late into the night
• Saturday: Live table football tournament in the afternoon and club evening with a Franconian band (e.g., »DieDoh«)
• Sunday: Service in the morning, Weißwurst (white sausage) Frühschoppen, coffee and cake with a youth brass band, and the ceremonial Kerwa-Austanzen with handover to the next year

Kerwa as a Source of Identity

For the approximately 600 inhabitants of Pittersdorf, the Zeltkerwa is much more than a folk festival: it is a club festival, a family reunion, and a custom all rolled into one. The Youth Club thus preserves a tradition that has been celebrated for generations in the Catholic-influenced Hummelgau – as a remembrance of the consecration of the local church and an occasion to bring the village together. In the same year, the second Kerwa of the Hummeltal municipality takes place in the neighboring district of Pettendorf, lending the region an unusually dense series of Kerwa celebrations.

Character of the Festival

Anyone visiting the Pittersdorfer Zeltkerwa experiences Franconian hospitality in its purest form: smooth beer from Upper Franconian breweries, hearty specialties such as Bratwürste (sausages), Schäuferla, and Krautsalat (sauerkraut salad), accompanied by brass music, traditional costumes, and a jubilant audience from Hummeltal, Mistelgau, Bayreuth, and the surrounding area spanning multiple generations.