Four-day marksmen's festival at the Bogenstraße fairground in the VG Bad Kreuznach area
The Schützenfest Bad Kreuznach at the fairground on Bogenstraße is one of the major club festivals of the season in the Naheland region. For four days – from Thursday to Sunday in early June – local marksmen celebrate their tradition with a packed program of king's shooting, a parade, catering, and dance evenings. The festival is open to everyone and attracts visitors from Bad Kreuznach and the entire administrative district.
Schützenfeste (marksmen's festivals) are deeply rooted in the Naheland and have a centuries-old tradition. A common thread runs from medieval civic marksmanship through rural sports clubs to today's sports shooting clubs, which is brought to life anew every year at the Schützenfest.
The focus of the Schützenfeste is traditionally the king's shooting. Marksmen from the club compete against each other to determine the new marksmen's king or queen. Whoever takes the decisive shot and hits the symbolic bird (or another designated target) wins the title of king for one year. The proclamation of the new king is one of the emotional highlights of the festival.
A festival tent is erected at the Bogenstraße fairground, serving as the main stage for the event. It hosts catering, dance evenings, the program, and the coronation ceremony. A parade through the town – with marksmen, guards, music bands, and clubs – is one of the classic program points. Catering with draft beer, wine, non-alcoholic drinks, bratwurst, Schwenkbraten (grilled pork neck), and fries is available for guests.
The festival is spread over four days. Thursday and Friday are often dedicated to shooting sports competitions and the opening ceremony with the tapping of the first keg. Saturday and Sunday feature the big festival evenings with live bands or DJs, dancing, and show programs. The exact program for 2026 will be announced by the marksmen's club via the event page of the VG Bad Kreuznach.
Bad Kreuznach, with around 51,000 inhabitants, is one of the larger towns in northern Rhineland-Palatinate and the administrative seat of the district of the same name. The marksmen's tradition has a long history in the Naheland – numerous clubs in the municipalities of the Bad Kreuznach administrative district maintain the tradition of sports and popular marksmanship.
The Schützenfest Bad Kreuznach 2026 will take place from Thursday, June 4 to Sunday, June 7 at the Bogenstraße fairground – from 3 PM to 11:30 PM each day. For four days, king's shooting, festival evenings, and catering will shape the program. Free admission.
As in previous years, the local marksmen's club organizes the festival independently. The detailed program (parade, music acts, king's proclamation) will be announced by the organizer a few weeks before the date on vg-badkreuznach.de.
The exact program for 2026 will be published by the organizer in the spring. The structure follows the proven key points of previous years:
Current details at vg-badkreuznach.de.
Free admission. Food and drinks are paid for on site.
Thursday, June 4 to Sunday, June 7, 2026, daily from 3 PM to 11:30 PM.
Bogenstraße fairground, 55543 Bad Kreuznach (VG Bad Kreuznach).
Free admission.
By train: Bad Kreuznach main station, from there a short walk or a short bus ride. By car: via the A 61 (Bad Kreuznach exit). Parking is available in the town center.
Weatherproof clothing, sturdy footwear. Family-friendly in the early evening, focus on adult party-goers in the evening.
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