Schützenfest Neuwarendorf

Tradition since 1928 in the hamlet of Neuwarendorf

The Schützenverein Neuwarendorf e.V. was founded in 1928 and has since maintained the annual Schützenfest (marksmen's festival) in the hamlet of Neuwarendorf — a rural area on the outskirts of the town of Warendorf in Westphalia's Münsterland region. In 2026, the festival will take place on Saturday, June 27, and Sunday, June 28, on the festival grounds at the Altefrohne Tiefbau site, Neuwarendorf 90 — a traditional shooting range that has served as the association's home for decades.

Saturday — Assembly, Parade, and Children's Schützenfest

The first day of the Schützenfest begins at 1:30 PM with the assembly in Walgernheide. The marksmen gather in uniform, the fife and drum corps strikes up the march, and the procession moves in an orderly formation to the festival grounds. The afternoon there begins with:

• Royal reception for the reigning king and queen
• Hampelmann shooting — preliminary competition for the Schützenkönig (shooting at a moving target)
• Children's Schützenfest with its own competition and children's king
• Coffee and cake for everyone

In the evening, starting around 7 PM, the festival ball begins in the festival tent — live dance music, exuberant atmosphere, catering until late into the night. Classic Westphalian rural atmosphere.

Sunday — Church Service, Morning Pint, Bird Shooting, and Crowning

The marksmen's Sunday begins with a church service in the parish church, followed by the morning pint in the festival tent — beer, Mettbrötchen (raw minced pork sandwiches), and speeches. Association honors for long-standing members, loyalty awards, and sometimes the admission of new marksmen.

At noon, the bird shooting begins on the wooden marksmen's bird at the high stand. Marksman after marksman tries to shoot the bird off the pole with well-aimed shots — the final shot that brings the bird down crowns the new Schützenkönig (marksmen's king). The king chooses his queen, the dignitaries are honored, and the association escorts the new royal couple back to the festival tent with collection plates and a parade.

In the afternoon and evening, the crowning ceremony follows as a festive highlight — then a dance evening with a DJ in the festival tent until deep into the night.

Musical Accompaniment

The Schützenfest is musically accompanied by two regular partners:

• Spielmannszug St. Georg Müssingen — drum and pipe music for the parade and assembly
• Musikverein Freckenhorst — brass music for the morning pint and atmosphere

Neuwarendorf — Hamlet in Westphalia's Münsterland

Neuwarendorf is a hamlet within the Warendorf municipal area — rural in character, with farms, meadows, and forests. Warendorf itself is the district town of Warendorf in Westphalia's Münsterland, known as the "City of the Horse" (seat of the German Olympic Committee for Equestrian Sports). In the hamlets, a traditional club structure prevails — marksmen's associations, rural women's groups, and sports clubs shape the identity of these rural communities. The Schützenfest here is far more than just an event: it is the annual festival where the entire hamlet comes together.

Contact

Schützenverein Neuwarendorf e.V., President via email: [email protected]