Weidhäuser Kirchweih am Zimmleshof

An Allerweltskirchweih in the Coburg Region

The Weidhäuser Kirchweih is one of the classic Franconian "Allerweltskirchweihen" – meaning a Kirchweih that is no longer tied to the patronage of the local church, but is celebrated on the third Sunday in October, as was decreed statewide in Bavaria in the 19th century. In Weidhausen b.Coburg, a municipality with just under 2,500 inhabitants on the southeastern edge of the Coburg district in Upper Franconia, the Weidhausen Fruit and Garden Association (OGV) organizes the festival at Zimmleshof.

Frühschoppen, Lunch, and Cake

Kirchweih Sunday begins in the morning with the festival opening at Zimmleshof. There is Frühschoppen with Franconian beer, followed by lunch with hearty home-style cooking – typical dishes include Bratwürste (sausages), Schäuferla (pork shoulder), or Sauerbraten (marinated roast beef) with dumplings – and from the afternoon onwards, a lavishly laid cake buffet with sheet cakes donated and baked by club members. The OGV explicitly calls on its members to bake every year – the Kirchweih thrives on the commitment of the village community.

The Pumpkin Award Ceremony as a Highlight

A special feature of the Weidhäuser Kirchweih is the pumpkin award ceremony: until 12:30 PM, garden enthusiasts from the village and surrounding area can submit their homegrown pumpkins for the competition. In the late afternoon at 4 PM, the winners are crowned in several categories – from the heaviest giant pumpkin to the most original shape. The pumpkin award ceremony is the festival's hallmark and fits the harvest festival and autumn profile of the Fruit and Garden Association.

Zimmleshof as the Festival Site

The venue is Zimmleshof in Weidhausen – a traditional festival site, prepared by the association itself, which is set up on the Saturday before the Kirchweih. The OGV regularly seeks helpers for setup and dismantling; thus, the festival is not an anonymous large event, but a genuine village club festival with a family atmosphere.

Weidhausen — Gateway to the Coburg Region

Weidhausen b.Coburg is located in the southernmost part of the Upper Franconian Coburg district, bordering Upper Franconia. The municipality, with its districts Neuensorg and Trübenbach, has a rural structure and belongs to the Coburg Land culinary region. Visitors to the Kirchweih can ideally combine their visit with a hike in the Franconian Forest Nature Park or a city tour in Coburg itself, which is only 15 kilometers away.