Name: Christmas Market at St. Bartholomew's Church Pegnitz 2026
Start: 2026-12-05T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-12-06T00:00:00+00:00
Location: St.-Bartholomäus-Kirche Pegnitz

Christmas Market Pegnitz

About Christmas Market Pegnitz

Since 1971, the Catholic parish of Herz Jesu in Pegnitz has organized the Christmas market at St. Bartholomew's Church every year on the weekend before the second Advent – one of the oldest Christkindlmärkte (Christmas markets) in the Franconian Switzerland. Over 100 volunteer parish members set up a circular path around the imposing St. Bartholomew's Church, with Punch and Judy shows, brass concerts, carriage rides, and the appearance of the Christkind (Christ child) with gingerbread.

Dates 05 Dec — 06 Dec 2026

Venue Pegnitz (09472)

Prices Free

Status —

Edition 2026

Christmas Market Pegnitz — edition 2026

The 2026 Christmas market falls – according to the fixed schedule of 'Saturday before the 2nd Advent' – on December 5/6, 2026. The Herz Jesu parish Pegnitz traditionally organizes the market around St. Bartholomew's Church with brass concerts, Punch and Judy shows, carriage rides, and the appearance of the Christkind.

The Pegnitz Christmas market has followed the same fixed schedule for decades: Saturday before the 2nd Advent as the main market Saturday, Sunday as a supplementary market Sunday. In 2026, this corresponds to the weekend of December 5/6. The Catholic parish of Herz Jesu remains the organizer.

The program and schedule will be finalized in mid/late November 2026 on herzjesu-pegnitz.de and pegnitz.de. As usual, the brass concerts will be performed by the Pegnitz town band and local brass choirs, the Punch and Judy show for children is scheduled, and the Christkind's appearance will be liturgically integrated.

Highlights Christmas Market Pegnitz 2026

Circular path arrangement around St. Bartholomew's Church, appearance of the Christkind with gingerbread distribution as a hallmark, brass concerts and Punch and Judy show, over 100 volunteer parish members.

Programme Christmas Market Pegnitz 2026

Saturday, December 5, 2026 — Main Market Day

10:00 AM–7:30 PM — Market activities on the circular path around St. Bartholomew's Church, over 100 volunteer parish members serve and manage the stalls
Afternoon — Punch and Judy show for children (multiple performances)
Afternoon/Evening — Brass concerts in or in front of the church (brass choir / Pegnitz town band)
Throughout the day — Carriage rides around the church square
Late afternoon — Appearance of the Christkind, who distributes gingerbread to the children

Sunday, December 6, 2026 (St. Nicholas Day, 2nd Advent)

11:00 AM–6:00 PM — Market activities with candlelight, Christmas tree, mulled wine and children's punch stand
Parish program, Punch and Judy show, and brass concert depending on final scheduling

Exact program times will be published on herzjesu-pegnitz.de and pegnitz.de.

Prices Christmas Market Pegnitz 2026

Free admission. Proceeds from food and drink sales go to Third World projects, parish initiatives, and children's/youth work.

Practical information

Practical information — Christmas Market Pegnitz

Getting There

By car: A9 Munich–Nuremberg–Berlin, exit Pegnitz, then to the city center. Parking available in town.

By train: Pegnitz station on the Nuremberg–Bayreuth line, then walk to the center.

Admission

Free. Donations and purchases support Third World projects, parish initiatives, and children's and youth work.

A Market for a Good Cause

The Christmas Market at St. Bartholomew's Church Pegnitz is more than a tourist Christkindlmarkt format: It was initiated in 1971 by Father Dr. Vogl to finance the Don Bosco kindergarten and has been firmly in the hands of the Catholic parish of Herz Jesu ever since. Proceeds still flow into Third World projects, special parish initiatives, and the parish's children's and youth work. Over 100 parish members volunteer every market weekend – one of the highest volunteer rates among Franconian Christmas markets.

Location: St. Bartholomew's Church

The St. Bartholomew's Church – a striking church from the 19th century (on a site with a much older building tradition) – forms the heart of the market. The stalls are arranged in a circular path around the church: visitors stroll in a loop through the market activities, ending back at the starting point. This arrangement is unusual in the Franconian-Protestant-Catholic church landscape and gives the Pegnitz market its own visual charm.

Date: Saturday before the 2nd Advent

The market date is traditionally on the Saturday before the 2nd Advent, supplemented by Sunday. In 2026, the Saturday market falls on December 5, 2026, and the Sunday market on December 6, 2026. Opening hours are usually Saturday 10:00 AM–7:30 PM and Sunday 11:00 AM–6:00 PM (based on previous years' data).

Program Highlights

Punch and Judy show – a regular feature for children
Brass concerts – usually by the Pegnitz town band or brass choirs from the region
Carriage rides – around the church square
Christkind with gingerbread – the Christkind personally visits the children and distributes gingerbread, one of the atmospheric highlights and hallmarks of the market

Pegnitz in Franconian Switzerland

Pegnitz is a town in the Bayreuth district (Upper Franconia, Bavaria), at the transition to Franconian Switzerland. The market has been a fixed date for the town and the surrounding area for decades, and it preserves the familiar, community-like atmosphere of a parish market – in contrast to professionalized big-city Christmas markets.