Rahden Car Show

Spring Awakening in the Auestadt

When gleaming cars suddenly park along the Langen Straße and around the Marktplatz in Rahden on a March weekend, the whole region knows: The Rahden Car Show is here — and with it, the unofficial start of spring for the Mühlenkreis. For two days, on Saturday, March 21, 2026, and Sunday, March 22, 2026, local car dealerships transform the city centre into a huge open-air showroom — and retailers open their doors for Sunday shopping.

The Entire Model Range in the City Centre

The special thing about the Rahden Car Show: Here you don't just see one brand, but the complete spectrum of Rahden's car dealerships at a glance. Brands like Citroën, Ford, Mazda, Toyota, and Volvo stand door-to-door with numerous other manufacturers — from family sedans, vans, and SUVs to small, economical cars and convertibles. Those who want to switch to electromobility will find current e-cars from various manufacturers as well as e-scooters and scooters as urban mobility alternatives. Commercial vehicles and light motor vehicles complete the offering.

Participating Car Dealerships

Exhibiting at the 2026 Car Show are: Auto-Center Bureck, the Volvo dealer Pollert, Autohaus Piper, SFD Rahden, Auto-Rehling, Autohaus Ortgies, and Knepper. The Stadtsparkasse Rahden supports the show as a financing partner — at the last edition, there was an annual interest rate of 2.95%, making the car show an attractive sales platform. In fact, cars are often sold directly from the exhibition stand at the Rahden Car Show — a rarity that distinguishes the event from a purely exhibition-focused format.

Sunday Shopping — The Sweet Treat

A highlight of the Car Show is the Sunday shopping on March 22, 2026: All of Rahden's retailers — fashion, shoes, sports, toys, household goods — open their doors, allowing visitors to combine the Car Show with a shopping spree. This dual purpose makes the weekend a real family outing: while one family member inspects the latest models, the rest can stroll through the city centre. Traditionally, a bouncy castle from Stadtsparkasse Rahden is available for children.

Catering and Family Programme

For years, catering has been provided by Fleischerei Schröder with regional specialities — currywurst, fries, rolls, and hot drinks. In addition, there are other stands from local clubs and caterers. Since the weather in Ostwestfalen can still be unpredictable in March, warm shoes and a weatherproof jacket are recommended — the cars are displayed outdoors.

58 Editions of Tradition — The Economy of the Mühlenkreis

In 2026, the Rahden Car Show will celebrate its 58th edition, making it one of the oldest and most traditional car shows in rural North Rhine-Westphalia. For Rahden's car dealerships, it is the most important sales day of the year — many customers specifically wait for the March week to compare new models and take advantage of special offers. For the city centre, it is an economic factor: tens of thousands of visitors flock to Rahden's city centre over the two days of the show.

Minden-Lübbecke District — The Northern Mühlenkreis

Rahden is the northernmost town in the Minden-Lübbecke district, the Mühlenkreis, in the far north of North Rhine-Westphalia, right on the border with Lower Saxony. With just under 16,000 inhabitants, Rahden is the central hub for the northern municipalities of the district — the Auestadt, as Rahden calls itself (after the many meadows along the Große Aue river), is rural and charming, with active club life and a city centre that has remained remarkably vibrant for a central town. The Car Show is part of this vitality.