Zwetschenkirmes Wewer

Plum festival with tradition — Wewer's autumn premiere

When the meadows on the banks of the Alme in the Paderborn district of Wewer are filled with blue plums, wooden benches, and music on the second Sunday in September, the Zwetschenkirmes is in full swing. The Zwetschenkirmes is the oldest district festival in Paderborn and one of the most traditional folk festivals in Ostwestfalen-Lippe. In 2026, it will take place on Sunday, September 13, 2026, from 11 a.m. — as always on the second Sunday in September.

On the Bleiche by the Alme — the festival grounds

The festival grounds are officially called "Auf der Bleiche an der Alme" — a flat meadow directly on the banks of the Alme river, which flows through Wewer. Historically, canvas was laid out there for bleaching (hence the name). Today, the Bleiche is the festival site: wooden benches, standing tables, stalls around the meadow, with the old trees along the riverbank in the background. A picture-book folk festival site that also attracts photographers.

Plum specialties — the culinary highlight

The namesake element is the Zwetschgen (plums) — September is plum harvest time, and the Wewer housewives, bakeries, and helpers bring their specialties:

• Zwetschgenkuchen (plum cake) on yeast or shortcrust pastry with streusel — the undisputed classic
• Pflaumenkompott (plum compote) hot and cold, with vanilla sauce or cream
• Pflaumenliquor (plum liqueur) and plum schnapps from regional distilleries
• Zwetschgentorte (plum tart) with cream — a specialty of the coffee stands
• Other stands with bratwurst, fries, drinks — folk festival classics

If you're a plum fan, you should skip breakfast beforehand — there will be full catering with the blue fruit at the Kirmes.

Family program and local culture

In addition to culinary delights, three other pillars shape the program:

• Children's flea market: Wewer children offer toys, books, and souvenirs for sale — a real market with real cash registers, organized by the Heimatbund
• Games and activities: Classic folk festival games, bouncy castle, face painting, sometimes pony rides
• Concerts: Regional brass bands, music associations, and marching bands play throughout the day — folk music, classics, march music
• Information stands: Wewer clubs (marksmen, carnival, sports, parish) present themselves

The festival is purely family-friendly — no disco, no big stage, but a relaxed gathering of generations.

Heimatbund Wewer — the organizers

The organizer is the Heimatbund Wewer e.V., a traditional local heritage association that has preserved Wewer's folk traditions for generations. The Heimatbund organizes not only the Zwetschenkirmes but also other Wewer events — hiking groups, archery, boules, Zumba, women's gymnastics, Low German language circles, e-bike tours for women. Club life is intensive and represents Wewer's strong district identity.

Wewer — Paderborn district with character

Wewer is a western district of Paderborn in the Paderborn district, traditionally rural and Catholic. The parish church of St. Johannes der Täufer is the spiritual center, the Alme river meanders through the town, and club life is one of the liveliest in the Paderborn area. The Zwetschenkirmes is Wewer's most important day of the year — if you're looking for authentic East Westphalian district festivals, this is the place to be.

Ostwestfalen-Lippe — Land of Schützenfeste and local festivals

Ostwestfalen-Lippe (OWL) in eastern North Rhine-Westphalia is a region where club life and local traditions are particularly strong. Schützenfeste (marksmen's festivals), parish festivals, district festivals — there is hardly a community that doesn't have a major folk festival annually. The Zwetschenkirmes Wewer is one of the oldest and most traditional of these festivals — over 100 years of history, without commercial inflation, but as a grown district festival.