The first Whitsun fair was held in Menden in the 18th century. It is thought to have originated from the Menden Krammarkt, which had developed around the 18th century on the occasion of the Whitsun processions.
The annual fair, which takes place throughout the town center, begins on the Saturday before Whitsun and ends on Tuesday with a fireworks display.
In keeping with the long tradition, a nostalgic bronze carousel horse weighing six hundredweights was erected next to the Old Town Hall as a fairground monument during the 2009 Whitsun fair.