Waldenbuch Rettichfest

The Bonholz Educational Garden — Home of the Rettichfest

When the educational garden in Bonholz switches from its quiet daily routine to festival mode one July weekend, it's Rettichfest time. The Waldenbuch Fruit and Garden Association e.V. (OGV) invites you to its annual club festival in the garden, which serves as an educational and demonstration area for fruit growing, berry bushes, and scattered orchards throughout the year. On the first weekend of July (July 4–5, 2026), the garden opens to the public, the association provides refreshments, and the Sunday service turns the festival into a small community ceremony.

What the Name Means

The name “Rettichfest” (often affectionately called “Radisenfest” in Swabian dialect) goes back to the traditional focus variety of the OGV's cultivation area: the radish, which is in season during the summer and is traditionally served with bread and beer in Swabian tradition. Today, the radish is no longer the sole focus — the OGV serves salads, snacks, and radish specialties — but the historic name has remained as a trademark.

Saturday — Festival Opens at 4 PM

On Saturday, July 4th, the festival grounds open at 4 PM. Refreshments served by the OGV with classic summer dishes: Swabian sausages, pretzels, radish salad, snack platters with regional cheese, and farmer's bread. Draft beer, regional wine, non-alcoholic drinks. Local bands or the club band play on a small stage. Families will find a bouncy castle, a plant swap, and a small OGV sales stand with seedlings and vegetable plants.

Sunday — Service and Frühschoppen

On Sunday, July 5th, the ecumenical service begins at 10 AM in the educational garden — a beautiful tradition where the Protestant and Catholic communities of Waldenbuch jointly hold an open-air service. Afterwards, there's a Frühschoppen with brass music (often the Waldenbuch Music Association), a lunch with hearty dishes, and in the afternoon, coffee, cake, and homemade ice cream from the OGV.

Historic Tractors and Bulldogs

A traditional program highlight: the exhibition of historic agricultural vehicles — Bulldogs (Lanz-Bulldog is a Southern German term for pre-war tractors), tractors, historic Eicher, Fendt, Deutz, and Hanomag. Local collectors bring their lovingly restored machines; children can climb aboard, and the educational garden transforms into a small open-air agricultural machinery show.

Waldenbuch in the Böblingen District

Waldenbuch is a small town in the Böblingen district, southwest of Stuttgart at the entrance to the Schönbuch nature park. The town is known for the Ritter Sport chocolate factory (whose visitor center and museum are located right in town) and Waldenbuch Castle with its Museum of Folk Culture. The educational garden in Bonholz is on the outskirts of town, nestled in the rolling landscape of the Schönbuch foothills. You can reach Waldenbuch in 30 minutes from Stuttgart by bus from Böblingen or by car via the L 1208.