Schützenfest Velen

Velen in the Westmünsterland

Velen is a municipality in the Borken district (Münster administrative region), located in the western Münsterland region between Coesfeld, Borken, and the Dutch border. With around 13,000 inhabitants, it is a rural municipality with the districts of Velen and Ramsdorf, characterized by agriculture, Velen Castle (now a sports and conference castle), and a strong club life. The St. Andreas Schützenbruderschaft Velen, with its 500-year tradition (anniversary celebrated in 2024), is one of the oldest clubs in the entire Westmünsterland.

Unity · Order · Cheerfulness

The club motto of the marksmen — “Unity, Order, Cheerfulness” — dictates the spirit of the festival. Three days are celebrated in traditional order, with Schützenmesse, parade, balls, and bird shooting. The festival begins on Saturday with the ceremonial opening, the Schützenmesse service, and the parade to the shooting range. This is followed by the Grand Tattoo (Großer Zapfenstreich) on the castle steps — a military trumpet and drum ceremony that appears particularly solemn with torches at dusk. In the evening, the opening ball takes place in the festival tent.

Sunday: Morning Pint and Festival Ball

Sunday features a cheerful morning pint concert (Frühschoppen), followed by the grand parade through Velen with marksmen, marching bands, the king, and his predecessor couples. In the evening, the grand festival ball is held in the festival tent — the social highlight where the clubs celebrate the insignia of the royal couple. Sunday is traditionally the busiest day with high visitor numbers from all over the Westmünsterland.

Monday: Bird Shooting and Coronation

Monday brings the traditional bird shooting (Vogelschießen) at the bird pole — the marksman who knocks the last splinter off the wooden bird from the pole becomes the new king. This is followed by the handover from the old royal couple to the new one and the coronation in the festival tent. This concludes the festival cycle. The funfair with carousels, food stalls, and shooting galleries runs parallel to the marksmen's events on the festival grounds.

Velen Castle as a Backdrop

Velen Castle — a 16th-century Renaissance moated castle, now a sports and conference castle — provides the historic backdrop for many program points. The Grand Tattoo (Großer Zapfenstreich) on Saturday evening is held on the castle steps, and the parade passes through the castle park.

Getting to Velen

By car via the B 70 or the A 31 (exit Reken or Borken); parking available around the festival site. Public transport: Bus lines from Borken and Coesfeld to Velen; Borken station (RB 43) is the nearest train station. Approximately 25 minutes by car from Coesfeld.