The largest folk festival in South Westphalia
The countdown is on: from August 15 to 18, 2026, the traditional "Wendsche Kärmetze" will take place with an animal show, a funfair and a folk festival.
Whenever the Ferris wheel turns and the merry-go-round starts its rides amidst cries of joy, when the Wendsche Kärmetze is officially opened by the mayor of Wend, the representatives of the showmen and the brewery with the tapping of the keg beer in front of these two wonderful rides, the "sixth season" begins for the people of Wendsche.
The Wendsche Kärmetze is as old as it is renewed every year and delights young and old with its colorful, bright beauty. And it still retains and preserves its village charm and the community of all Wendschen in all its alleyways and streets. An old model for the future with a local flair and always new aspects.
South Westphalia's largest folk festival attracts several hundred thousand "fairground fans" every year and puts the community in a cheerful state of emergency.
Wendsche Kärmetze 2026 - pleasure from tradition and modernity.
Colorful lights reflected in the shining eyes of children, unmistakable encounters in the hustle and bustle of the crowd. When one highlight follows the next, it's that time again - it's Wendsche Kärmetze time. On August 15, the festival of the year opens its doors to visitors of all ages.
In 2026, the organizers once again rely on a tried-and-tested mix of tradition and modernity, because only here, in addition to the Ferris wheel and other spectacular rides and attractions, there is a church service on Sunday and the animal show on Tuesday as a kind of full stop to the fast-paced irrelevance.
If a fair smells like a fair, then it's the Wendsche Kärmetze: Bee honey, candle wax, candy floss, the smell of bratwurst and a bouquet of potato pancakes, plus the beer roundel, wine stands and throwing booths, round rides and more angular ones too.
There is also plenty of variety at various stands - from local to international, a wide range of hosts invite you to linger and feast. Over a quarter of a millennium of history and countless showmen and market traders come together to make the summer in Wenden even more colorful. Whether visitors prefer to relive childhood memories on a round of bumper cars, experience a wild mix of twists and turns on the Predator or indulge their taste buds: The largest folk festival in South Westphalia has the right program for everyone. Three days of action and fun (closed on Mondays) await visitors from all directions. And it's all even more environmentally friendly, as green electricity has been used since Kärmetze 2022.