Schützenfest Holsten-Bexten Salzbergen

Holsten-Bexten Marksmen's Association since 1879

The Schützengesellschaft Holsten-Bexten e.V. was founded in 1879 — towards the end of the 19th century, a time when new marksmen's associations were established in many Emsland villages as civic festival communities. With almost 150 years of club history, the association is one of the traditional clubs in the southern Emsland region.

Holsten-Bexten — Salzbergen District

Holsten-Bexten is a district of the municipality of Salzbergen. Like many smaller Emsland villages, Holsten-Bexten has its own club culture that shapes village life. The marksmen's association is one of the central pillars of this culture.

Salzbergen — Stronghold of Marksmen's Traditions

A remarkable characteristic of Salzbergen is the high density of marksmen's clubs: the municipality has a total of 7 Schützenvereine. This diversity shows how deeply the marksmen's tradition is rooted in this rural, Catholic-influenced community — almost every district and settlement maintains its own marksmen's tradition.

Festival Date According to Tradition

The festival traditionally takes place on the weekend before the first Monday in June — a tradition that causes the exact date to vary from year to year. In 2026, this weekend falls on May 29th, 30th, and 31st.

Three Festival Days

• Friday 29.05.: Festival kickoff with picking up the King, march to the festival grounds, opening evening
• Saturday 30.05.: King's Shoot / Bird Shoot, King's Dinner, King's Ball
• Sunday 31.05.: Festival service, Family Day, festival parade, King's proclamation, closing evening

Club Life and Village Community

Like all rural Schützenfeste, the Holsten-Bexten festival thrives on the voluntary commitment of its members. Much is organized in-house, from setting up the festival tent to the catering.