Volksfest Parsberg

Volksfest Parsberg — Five Days of Upper Palatinate Volksfest Tradition

Parsberg is a town with just under 7,500 inhabitants in the Neumarkt district of the Upper Palatinate, east of Nuremberg and north of Regensburg. The Volksfest, held annually at the end of August since 1948, is the town's most important social event, attracting visitors from the entire district and neighboring Lower Bavaria. The festival grounds are conveniently located on Velburger Straße on the eastern edge of town.

Opening with Beer Tapping and Schäfflertanz

The first festival day — traditionally a Thursday — begins in the afternoon with the Schäfflertanz by the Parsberg Schäfflergruppe. This historic barrel dance, originally passed down from the 16th century in Bavarian cities, symbolically opens the festival. Around 5:30 PM, the festive procession of dignitaries into the festival tent follows, after which the mayor performs the beer tapping. With the first mug of Neumarkter Lammsbräu festival beer, the festival is officially opened.

Festival Tent and Program

The large festival tent offers seating for several thousand visitors. On festival evenings, various live bands perform — from classic Bavarian brass music and dialect pop to cover bands. Mountain Four, a well-known Upper Palatinate dialect band, is scheduled for Saturday evening, August 23rd, 2026. During the day, showmen provide entertainment with their rides — a Ferris wheel, bumper cars, roller coaster, swing carousel, shooting gallery, and candy stalls form the classic amusement park section. On festival Sunday, a grand fireworks display over the festival grounds concludes the day.

Day of Volunteers and Family Day

Monday is traditionally celebrated as the Day of Volunteers — clubs, fire departments, and volunteers are invited to the festival tent with discounted rates. Friday afternoon is aimed at young people, and Sunday is Family Day with open Sunday shopping in the town center: Shops around the market square are open on festival Sunday from 1:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Festival Beer, Snacks, and Tent Cuisine

For decades, Neumarkter Lammsbräu has been served, one of the few breweries in Bavaria with an almost entirely organic certified product range. The festival tent kitchen serves classic Bavarian festival specialties: spit-roasted chicken, grilled fish on a stick, pork knuckle, giant pretzels, and apple fritters. Alongside these, festival sausages from local butchers.