Sommerfest Förderkreis Stadtpark — Botanischer Garten Gütersloh

Summer Festival in Gütersloh's Green Heart

Gütersloh, a district town with around 102,000 inhabitants in the Gütersloh district (Detmold administrative district, Ostwestfalen-Lippe), boasts a green oasis in the city center with its Stadtpark and Botanical Garden. The Förderkreis Stadtpark–Botanischer Garten e.V. has been dedicated to the preservation and care of the grounds for decades — a volunteer initiative that strengthens the connection between citizens and the park through its annual summer festival, plant swap events, and geocaching routes. In 2026, the summer festival will take place on Sunday, June 14, from 1:30 PM to 5:00 PM.

Paper Making with Christa Fuhrmann

A special attraction is the paper making workshop with artist Christa Fuhrmann. Christa Fuhrmann, a local artist from Ostwestfalen, leads a workshop where visitors can create their own papers from recycled pulp and artistically design them with plant inclusions from the Botanical Garden. An unusual crossover art project that combines craft, nature, and creativity — suitable for all ages.

Concert by the Symphonic Wind Orchestra

The musical highlight is the concert by the Symphonic Wind Orchestra of the Gütersloh Fire Department (SBO) until 3:30 PM. The SBO is a renowned amateur ensemble of the fire brigade band, performing concerts beyond the city limits. The program in the Botanical Garden typically includes classical wind music, film score arrangements, and popular hits — a mix that appeals to garden visitors of all ages.

Raised Bed Crafting for Children

There is a dedicated program for children: the raised bed crafting is an educational activity where children, under the guidance of the Botanical Garden's gardeners, build and plant small raised beds. They learn the basics of raised bed construction, soil science, and plant identification, and can take their finished mini-raised bed home. The activity is free and intended for children aged approximately 6 and up.

Mobile Forest School of the Hegerings

The Mobile Forest School is a traveling educational facility run by the Hegerings Gütersloh — a trailer filled with taxidermied animals, specimens, and educational materials about local fauna. At the summer festival, it stops at the Botanical Garden, offering children and families insights into the wildlife of the Ostwestfalen forest — wild boar, deer, badger, fox, hare, and birds are explained in an engaging way.

Botanical Garden Gütersloh

The Botanical Garden Gütersloh, located at Parkstraße 33, is one of Ostwestfalen's largest inner-city garden complexes, spanning approximately 9 hectares. It features sections for medicinal plants, perennials, an alpine garden, a cottage garden, meadows with rare plants, and a rose garden. The Gütersloh municipal utilities are responsible for maintenance; the Förderkreis contributes to its preservation through donations and events.

Getting There

The Botanical Garden is centrally located, about 1 kilometer south of Gütersloh train station. By car: take the B 64 or A 2 (exit Gütersloh), parking is available around the park (limited, free on Sundays). By public transport: use the bus lines of Verkehrsbetrieb OWL (stop: Parkstraße).