Fall Festivals to Visit in Germany

The famous Oktoberfest in Munich is not the only fall festival in Germany. Families traveling there in September and October have the choice of local festivals throughout the country, often unheralded events in small towns where your family can mingle with locals and enjoy food, music, entertainment, carnival rides and festive atmosphere.

If you want to plan your trip around a larger event — one offering fun for the whole family —Cannstatter Volksfest in Stuttgart is the largest in Western Germany and one of the top festivals in Europe. Rollercoasters, Ferris wheels and rides for both kiddies and thrill seekers fill a fairground with haunted houses, games, German music, performers and colorful parades.

Shop for souvenirs at market stalls and taste regional food and drink specialties at beer tents and food stands. The Volksfest (Sept. 22–Oct. 8) is easy to get to from Stuttgart on the city’s SBahn transit system.

Your family will feel as though they’ve stepped back into Germany’s Middle Ages at Festival-Mediaval in Selb, Sept. 9–Oct. 9. The fair is all about the traditions of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the early Baroque periods, with music of those eras, along with historical theater, workshops, bow tournaments and large medieval markets with fire artists. You can even rent medieval costumes to join in the experiences.

Rhine in Flames is a moving festival with two fall stops along the Rhine River. The festival is in Oberwesel Sept. 9 and St. Goar – St. Goarhausen Sept. 16. At each location (there are five throughout summer and fall), about 75 festively decorated ships move in convoy along the river. Fireworks displays illuminate the riverside castles and villages, which are in full festival mode with music and performances.