Platzer Kirmes Moitzfeld

Platzer Kirmes — A Picture-Book Village Fair

Looking for a fair without oversized rides, without huge marquees, and without impersonal showman logic? In the Moitzfeld district of Bergisch Gladbach, the exact opposite format has been running since 1976: The Platzer Kirmes is a small, charming, volunteer-run village fair that concentrates on the essentials — community, regional food, and manageable rides for children and families.

Tradition Since 1976

The Dorfgemeinschaft Moitzfeld e.V., founded in 1975, revived the historically older Moitzfeld village fair in 1976 — the fair had been suspended during the war years. For 50 years, it has taken place every first Sunday in July (the first Sunday after Peter & Paul, June 29th) on the Rotdornweg village square. The organizer is exclusively the volunteer association — no commercial showmen, but association members taking turns.

"Without a Big Marquee, Without Admission, With Moderate Prices"

The community's self-image states it clearly: "Without a big marquee, without admission, and with moderate prices for food & drinks." Admission is free, the atmosphere is family-friendly — young and old mingle in a relaxed mood on the village square. Not a profit-oriented concept, but village community work in festive attire.

Program and Attractions

The following attractions and activities are spread across the weekend:

• Modern small rides for families
• Shooting gallery and lottery booth
• Children's carousel
• Duck fishing
• Live music with a local cover band or DJ set
• Homemade Reibekuchen from Bergische potatoes
• Draft Kölsch and regional wine
• Sunday — Coffee and homemade cake, selection of the Kirmes Queen

What Makes the Fair Special

Three aspects set the Platzer Kirmes apart from the standard fair offerings:

• Volunteers instead of showmen — the stalls are run by association members, and profits go back into the association's work
• Regionality — Reibekuchen from Bergische potatoes, wine from the nearby Ahr region, Kölsch from Cologne
• Scale — deliberately kept small so that the fair doesn't get lost in a mass event

Moitzfeld — Historic Bergisch Gladbach District

Moitzfeld is a district of Bergisch Gladbach, a medium-sized town in the Rheinisch-Bergischer Kreis, Cologne administrative district, North Rhine-Westphalia. With around 4,000 inhabitants, the district has a village character, with manageable development, a historic village structure around the parish church, and an active village community. Bergisch Gladbach as a whole has around 113,000 inhabitants and belongs to the Cologne metropolitan area.