Viva Victoria – Neighbourhood and Family Festival in Kaskelkiez

One Neighbourhood, One Association, One Festival

Victoriastadt – also known as Kaskelkiez – is located in the southern district of Lichtenberg, between Rummelsburger Bucht and Frankfurter Allee. The compact Gründerzeit (late 19th/early 20th century) architecture around Kaskel-, Pfarr-, Türr-, and Hauffstraße forms an almost island-like micro-location. For over two decades, the SozDia Stiftung – a diaconal organisation focusing on families, youth, and neighbourhoods – has organised the Viva Victoria neighbourhood festival, which celebrates precisely this local identity.

The Duck Race – Signature Event

The highlight of each year is the duck race: up to 750 numbered rubber ducks are placed in the gutter of Kaskelstraße, with the water flow providing the propulsion. Those who have 'adopted' a duck beforehand (proceeds go to SozDia projects) can follow the excitement. Three winning ducks are celebrated – the prizes are traditionally neighbourly: vouchers from Kaskelkiez shops, books, and small tokens of appreciation.

Programme Around the Ducks

Additionally, there are around 50 stalls along Kaskelstraße and Pfarrstraße: a residents' flea market with toys, books, and clothing; street food stalls with regional and fairly produced delicacies from organic farming; stalls from Kaskelkiez initiatives. A stage in the middle of Pfarrstraße offers live music, dance shows for children, and association performances. A separate children's zone features a face-painting stand, craft activities, and participatory theatre.

25 Years of Neighbourhood

The 25th anniversary edition marks a quarter-century of civic engagement. SozDia has chosen a special path: instead of commercial expansion – with beer tents, a Ferris wheel, and a main sponsor – Viva Victoria deliberately remains low-threshold, neighbourly, and community-oriented. Visitors arriving with family from other districts can take away a feeling rarely experienced at a neighbourhood festival: everyone knows each other here; neighbourhood community is not just a marketing term.