Summer and Flower Festival Gartz (Oder)

A Young Tradition on the Edge of the Uckermark

Gartz (Oder) is a small town in the south of the Uckermark district, directly on the Polish border and on the western edge of the Lower Oder Valley National Park. Since 2025, the town has celebrated its own Summer and Flower Festival every summer in the market square, crowning the Gartz Flower Queen — a deliberately newly created tradition, inspired by the Flower Queen festivals of other small and medium-sized German towns, aiming to anchor the town's identity around gardens, landscape, and the Oder river.

Crowning of the Gartz Flower Queen

The highlight of the festival is the ceremonial crowning of the Gartz Flower Queen. In 2025, the 1st Gartz Flower Queen was proclaimed in the market square — a ritual that ensures a full festival ground every year. The Queen subsequently represents the town at other regional events and at the summer festivals of neighboring towns.

Opening by the Mayor

The festival is traditionally opened by Mayor Luca Piwodda. This underscores the town's characterization of the festival as a communal event that brings all citizens together — from clubs to schools, from gardening associations to heritage societies.

Market Stalls, Live Music, and Family Program

Local clubs and traders set up market stalls in the market square and adjacent streets — with a focus on horticulture, flowers, regional products, and handicrafts. Dance groups, regional bands, and a family program take turns on the stage. Food and drinks are served by the clubs.

Integrated into the Uckermark Tourist Region

The Gartz Flower Festival is part of the festival calendar of Tourismus-Uckermark and is marketed alongside the Güstow Harvest Festival, the Great Fish Drive at the Blumberger Ponds, and other summer events in the Uckermark — as an invitation to Berliners, Poles, and Brandenburgers to discover the rural north of Brandenburg.