Name: Zapfendorf Kirchweih 2026
Start: 2026-07-02T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-07-06T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Festplatz Hauptstraße

Zapfendorfer Kerwa

About Zapfendorfer Kerwa

The Zapfendorfer Kirchweih is the traditional summer festival of the Upper Franconian market town of Zapfendorf in the Bamberg district. Around the Sunday after Peter and Paul, the main street transforms into a festival ground with a funfair, rides, and festival activities. Local gastronomy businesses participate, the Kirchweih tree is erected by the fire department on Saturdays, and on Mondays, the parish youth and parish council meet for the traditional football match. The Kerwa is part of a rich series of Kirchweihen in the market town's districts.

Dates 02 Jul — 06 Jul 2026

Venue Zapfendorf (09471)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Zapfendorfer Kerwa — edition 2026

The Zapfendorf Kirchweih 2026 will be celebrated from July 2nd to 6th. On the festival grounds on the main street, visitors can expect festival activities, a funfair with rides, the erection of the Kirchweih tree with the fire department, and the traditional football match on Kirchweih Monday.

From July 2nd to 6th, 2026, the market town of Zapfendorf will celebrate its Kerwa around the Sunday after Peter and Paul. Festival activities on the main street's grounds start at 6 p.m., complemented by a funfair with rides. On Saturday, the Kirchweih tree will be erected together with the volunteer fire department. A highlight is the football match on Kirchweih Monday between the parish youth and the parish council. Duck fishing for children is also part of the program.

Highlights Zapfendorfer Kerwa 2026

Festival activities on the main street from 6 p.m.
Erection of the Kirchweih tree with the fire department
Funfair with rides
Duck fishing for children
Kirchweih Monday football match: parish youth vs. parish council

Programme Zapfendorfer Kerwa 2026

Saturday: Erection of the Kirchweih tree with the volunteer fire department, opening of festival activities from 6 p.m.

Sunday: Kirchweih Sunday with festival activities, funfair, and duck fishing (5 p.m. – 9 p.m.).

Monday: Traditional football match: parish youth vs. parish council.

Prices Zapfendorfer Kerwa 2026

Admission to the Kirchweih is free. Costs are only incurred for food, drinks, and rides at the funfair.

Practical information

Practical information — Zapfendorfer Kerwa

Getting There

Zapfendorf is located on the Bamberg–Lichtenfels railway line and has its own train station. The town can be reached by car via the B173 federal highway. Festival activities take place on the festival grounds on the main street.

Admission

Admission to the Kirchweih is free; costs are incurred for food, drinks, and rides at the funfair.

Tip

The duck fishing at the festival grounds (5 p.m. – 9 p.m.) is particularly popular with families with children.

Kerwa Tradition in the Upper Franconian Main Valley

The Zapfendorfer Kirchweih – in Franconian dialect, "Kerwa" – is one of the traditional village festivals in the market town of Zapfendorf in the Bamberg district. It is celebrated around the Sunday after the patron saint's festival of Peter and Paul (June 29th). The festival grounds on the main street, behind the "Knopfloch" Pils bar, become the center of the town: festival activities start at 6 p.m., a funfair with rides, and the popular duck fishing for children from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. are part of the regular program.

Customs and Highlights

On Saturday, the Kirchweih tree is erected together with the volunteer fire department – a central custom of the Franconian Kirchweih. Local restaurants participate with food and drinks during the festival. A special highlight is the football match on Kirchweih Monday, where the parish youth competes against the parish council or the church administration – a humorous contest with a long tradition.

Kirchweihen in the Market Area

The Zapfendorfer Kerwa is part of an entire year of Kirchweihen in the market town. In addition to the main town, the districts also celebrate their own Kirchweihen, including Sassendorf, Oberleiterbach, and Lauf, each on different dates in late summer and autumn. Thus, the Kirchweih tradition extends throughout the entire market area.

Regional Context

Zapfendorf is located in the Main Valley in the Bamberg district in the state of Bavaria, on the edge of the Steigerwald Nature Park and Franconian Switzerland. Here, the Kirchweih is an expression of village sociability, where clubs, the fire department, the parish community, and gastronomy work together to keep the Franconian custom alive.