Schützenfest Raesfeld

General St. Johannis Civil Marksmen's Association Raesfeld

The General St. Johannis Civil Marksmen's Association Raesfeld e.V. is one of the traditional marksmen's associations in the Westmünsterland. Its patron is John the Baptist, whose patron saint's day on June 24th marks an anchor in the club's calendar. The Schützenfest takes place annually on the first weekend of July and is one of the most important club events in the municipality of Raesfeld.

Reigning King and Queen 2025/26 and Court

The reigning King and Queen 2025/26:

• King: Werner Vorholt
• Queen: Kerstin Bleker
• Court: Werner Nienhaus & Ruth Baumeister, Heiko Büsken & Heike Dirks
• Children's King: Leo Dirks
• Children's Queen: Greta Flück

The King and Queen represent the BSV at friendly Schützenfeste in the region and are expected to be succeeded at the Coronation Ball in 2026.

Festival Program July 4th–6th, 2026

The three-day format follows the classic Westmünsterland Schützenfest schedule:

• Saturday, July 4th — Opening of the festival with tapping of the keg, marksmen's mass, evening celebration with live band
• Sunday, July 5th — High mass, morning pint, grand parade of all companies with the royal couples of friendly associations and music bands, coronation ball as the highlight
• Monday, July 6th — Morning pint, ladies' breakfast, winding down the festival

Raesfeld and its Castle

Raesfeld is a municipality in the Borken district (Westmünsterland) with approximately 12,000 inhabitants. The landmark of the municipality is Schloss Raesfeld — an outstanding 17th-century Renaissance castle complex, now home to the Academy of the Münster Chamber of Crafts and a registry office for romantic weddings. The municipality is scenically located in the western Münsterland, characterized by agriculture, medium-sized industry, and active club life. The Schützenfest is part of this club life — one of the central self-representations of Raesfeld's citizens.