Winzerfest Oberhausen

Wine in the Ruhr Area

The Winzerfest Oberhausen is an event that is initially surprising: wine culture and the Ruhr area are rarely considered together. But it is precisely this mix that makes it so appealing. Eight German wineries from the three most important German wine-growing regions come to the center of Alt-Oberhausen every year to serve their best wines directly from the winemakers for four days. What is a matter of course in a wine village on the Mosel slopes becomes a small festival here.

Eight Wineries from Three Growing Regions

The selection system is clear: two or three wineries per growing region from Nahe, Mosel, and Rheinhessen. Recurring exhibitors include Weingut Lersch, the organic-certified Weingut Winkler, and Weingut Kochan & Platz – family businesses in the third and fourth generation who serve their wines themselves. This has an important effect: if you have a question about a wine, you can ask the winemaker directly. This is wine tourism in the best sense, translated into a Ruhr area format.

Music, Lighting, Atmosphere

Unlike a pure tasting format, the Winzerfest has a stage program: regional bands, DJ sets, house acts like Josito and the Kids, The Flamingos, percussion duos, and electronic musicians create the atmosphere. The atmospheric lighting with fairy lights between the trees, furnished lounge areas, and wooden pallet tables transforms Friedensplatz into an open garden after dark.

More Than Just Wine

Even though wine is the main theme, there is a wide food offering: corndogs, crepes, manti (Turkish dumplings), Flammkuchen (savory tart), regional specialties, and sweet snacks. Family activities are also planned: face painting and drawing workshops with the artist Vanessa Vivien. This makes the Winzerfest attractive for families too – not just a wine event for adults.

Organizers and Support Program

Behind the Winzerfest is the Oberhausener Wirtschafts- und Tourismusförderung GmbH (OWT), the municipal marketing and tourism agency. The main sponsor is the Stadtsparkasse Oberhausen. The festival is part of a broader strategy to revitalize the city center of Alt-Oberhausen and strengthen regional tourism – an important concern for a city that needs to reinvent its city center identity between Centro (the shopping mall in Sterkrade-Süd) and the major transport routes of the Ruhr area.

Discover Oberhausen

The Winzerfest fits well with a day trip to Oberhausen. Centro Oberhausen with its shopping mall, the Gasometer Oberhausen with impressive exhibitions, the Olga Park, Schloss Oberhausen, and Sea Life Oberhausen are all reachable from Friedensplatz by tram in 5–15 minutes.