Schützenfest Hoya

Hoya — Town on the Weser

The town of Hoya was historically the capital of the County of Hoya, a medieval territory that encompassed large parts of the present-day districts of Nienburg/Weser and Diepholz. Hoya Castle and the historic town center are reminders of this past. Today, Hoya is the central town of the Samtgemeinde Grafschaft Hoya and a vibrant hub of the western Mittelweser region.

Hoya Marksmen's Corps of 1856

The Schützencorps Hoya von 1856 e.V. is one of the town's most traditional associations. With almost 170 years of club history, the corps has significantly shaped the social life of Hoya. The annual marksmen's festival is the highlight of the club's year and one of the highlights in the event calendar of the County of Hoya.

Scheibenwiese — Historic Festival Grounds

The Scheibenwiese is the traditional venue for the Hoya marksmen's festival. The name refers to the historic wooden discs that were used as targets for shooting. Today, the Scheibenwiese is a spacious festival ground with room for a large festival tent, several shooting ranges, and amusement rides.

Family Afternoon and Open-Air Party

A classic program item is the Family Afternoon on Saturday with entertainment, a children's king's shoot, and games for the youngest visitors. In the evening, the Open-Air Party with a DJ follows — a modern adaptation of the classic King's Ball, making Hoya's marksmen's festival attractive to younger guests as well. The bird shoot and the 'everyone's shoot' take place in advance on June 6th, 2026 — the actual festival weekend focuses on tradition and the festival program.

A Week of Preparation

The setup of the festival infrastructure begins as early as June 27th; the actual festival weekend is July 2nd–4th; dismantling takes place on July 5th. This lead time shows the size and complexity of the festival, which is set up and run every year by the club members on a voluntary basis.