Street Food Festival am Elsterwerdaer Platz

Biesdorf – Street Food in East Berlin

Elsterwerdaer Platz is located in the Biesdorf district, a quiet, tree-lined neighborhood in the Marzahn-Hellersdorf borough, right by the Elsterwerdaer Platz U-Bahn station. A classic Berlin neighborhood square with a weekly market, bus stop, and a few small shops – but not a place where large street food festivals typically take place. This is precisely what makes the concept by Hauptstadtkultur/Jüttner Entertainment interesting: bringing an international street food weekend to a place where no one expects it.

International Food Trucks and Vendors

Stalls and food trucks line the square, offering specialties from around the world: Korean Bibimbap, Mexican Quesadillas, Italian Pizza al Taglio, Turkish Gözleme, Thai Pad Thai, Indian Curry, alongside German classics like Bratwurst, Currywurst, and fries. The selection changes from edition to edition, but the range is deliberately broad – those who come for three days in a row can try something different each day. In addition, delicatessen stands offer handmade sauces, cheeses, pralines, and spirits.

Drinks, DJs, and Live Music

A central drinks area with a bar, cocktails, craft beer, and mulled wine (the mulled wine season opens at the end of October/beginning of November) creates the festival atmosphere. A small stage hosts the program: live music during the day (often singer-songwriters, small bands), and DJ sets in the evening, turning the street food experience into a weekend outing. Children under 12 have free admission – attractions like carousels, bouncy castles, and craft stalls make the festival family-friendly.

The Entrance Fee as a Drink Voucher

A Berlin peculiarity of the festival: Admission costs €2, but it can be redeemed as a drink voucher. So, whoever pays at the entrance gets the amount back at the first drinks stand – this lowers the barrier to entry and makes admission a psychologically fair model. Children under 12 are free.

Organizers and Reach

The organizer is Hauptstadtkultur (in cooperation with Jüttner Entertainment), which organizes several street food weekends in Berlin each year – at Elsterwerdaer Platz, on the Rummelsburger Bucht waterfront, and in other Berlin neighborhoods. Around 8,000 visitors come over the three days, primarily from Marzahn-Hellersdorf, Lichtenberg, and neighboring East Berlin districts.