Schützenfest Vettweiß-Kettenheim (St. Gereon)

175 Years of St. Gereon Schützenbruderschaft — A Historic Pentecost Schützenfest

The St. Gereon Schützenbruderschaft Vettweiß-Kettenheim 1849 e.V. is one of the oldest and most traditional brotherhoods in the Düren district. From May 23rd to 25th, 2026 (Pentecost), it celebrates its 175th anniversary — and with a double highlight, as Vettweiß-Kettenheim is also hosting the District Schützenfest of the Düren-Ost District Association in 2026. Shooting clubs from the entire Düren district march into the Eifel village to celebrate together for three days, compete, and practice customs.

What is a Rhenish Schützenfest?

The Schützenwesen (shooting fraternity) in the Rhineland dates back to the Middle Ages, when citizen militias defended their hometowns. Today, the Schützenbruderschaften are primarily cultural and social clubs — they practice religious customs (Vettweiß-Kettenheim is under the patronage of Saint Gereon, a martyr from Cologne), organize the largest village festival of the year, and are deeply rooted in the community. The focus is on the bird shooting: from among the members, the new Schützenkönig is determined by hitting a wooden bird on a high pole — the highest honor the shooting year has to offer.

District Schützenfest Düren-Ost — Every Three to Four Years in a Different Location

The District Schützenfest is the overarching event where all brotherhoods of the Düren-Ost district association march together in a grand parade. It rotates among the member clubs; in 2026, the honor of hosting the district festival coincides with the 175th anniversary of the St. Gereon brotherhood. Thousands of marksmen in uniform, hundreds of flags, pipe bands, and drum corps will march through Kettenheim — a visual and acoustic spectacle that the Eifel rarely experiences.

Three Days of Festival Program

The traditional Rhenish Schützenfest program includes:

• Saturday — Festival evening with coronation ball in the festival tent, king's honors, and live dance music
• Pentecost Sunday — Main parade through Kettenheim with all district clubs, followed by the king's proclamation
• Pentecost Monday — Bird shooting for the new king's title, family program, and festival finale

The program is complemented by shooting competitions, a shooting mass, a morning pint (Frühschoppen), and a large parade in which the entire village participates.

Vettweiß — Eifel Community with Shooting Tradition

The municipality of Vettweiß is located in the Düren district on the edge of the North Eifel, between Cologne, Aachen, and Bonn. With around 9,000 inhabitants and numerous villages (Kettenheim, Disternich, Soller, Müddersheim, etc.), Vettweiß is a predominantly rural municipality where Schützenfeste shape the year. The district of Kettenheim, home to the St. Gereon brotherhood, has only a few hundred inhabitants — and transforms into the pulsating center of Rhenish shooting traditions on Pentecost weekend. Worth seeing are the Romanesque church and the surrounding Eifel landscape with hiking trails leading to Vettweiß Castle and the Drover Heide nature reserve.

Düren District — Between Cologne and Aachen

The Düren district is located in western North Rhine-Westphalia and encompasses both the Cologne-Aachen lowland plain and the northern foothills of the Eifel. The city of Düren as the district seat, the Eifel communities of Nideggen and Heimbach with the Rursee lake, the lignite mining areas near Niederzier, and the fertile Zülpich Börde characterize the district. The Schützenwesen is particularly deeply rooted in this region — almost every village has its brotherhood, and the Pentecost Schützenfeste in Düren-Ost attract tens of thousands of visitors annually.