Werdohl Autumn Fair

Werdohl Autumn Fair — Autumn in the Lenne Valley

When the beech and oak forests around Werdohl are bathed in golden autumn foliage, the Werdohler Schützenverein invites you to the traditional Autumn Fair (Herbstkirmes). For decades, it has been one of the fixed highlights of the club's life and the town on the Lenne. The fair usually takes place on the last weekend of October — in 2024 it ran from October 25 to 28, and in 2025 from October 24 to 27. The official date for 2026 has not yet been confirmed, but it is expected to be from October 23 to 26, 2026.

Fairgrounds, Rides, and Stalls

The Werdohl Autumn Fair is a classic small town fair with a family atmosphere. The fairgrounds feature:

• Dodgems as the main attraction
• Swing rides and carousels for the little ones
• Various stalls with shooting galleries, prize draws, wheel of fortune
• Snack stands with bratwurst, candied almonds, crêpes, sweets
• A marquee with a bar and live music on weekends

The fair is manageable with about 10–15 rides — a typical format for the small-town marksmen's festival tradition in the Sauerland.

Werdohler Schützenverein — Club Life with a Long Tradition

The fair is organized by the Werdohler Schützenverein, which marks two major club highlights of the year with its spring marksmen's festival and the autumn fair. The marksmen's tradition (Schützenwesen) traditionally holds great importance in the Sauerland; many Werdohl families have been club members for generations. The autumn fair is part of club life but also serves to financially strengthen the club.

Werdohl — Town on the Lenne

The district town of Werdohl is located in the Märkischer Kreis (North Rhine-Westphalia), in the narrow Lenne valley. With around 18,000 inhabitants, it is a prominent industrial medium-sized town in the Sauerland — known for its iron and steel industry (Hellweg forge). Despite its industrial character, Werdohl has a strong club culture — the marksmen's clubs, TuS Werdohl, and the local carnival societies structure social life.

Sauerland Autumn

An autumn fair in the Sauerland has its own charm: cool evenings with punch and mulled wine, autumn leaves at the fairgrounds, a cozy atmosphere in the marquee. The Werdohl fair is one of the many small fair dates that characterize the Sauerland at the end of October — a folk festival (Volksfest) character without big-city hustle and bustle.