From the Staufer Spectacle to the Krautfestival
Events are to be found all over the Stuttgart Region throughout the year 2024: from the sociable "Hocketse" (an informal get-together) to the Cabbage Festival and the Chocolate Market.
In the Stuttgart Region there are many towns with timbered houses, and these attract visitors in the summer months with their splendid street and city festivals. One of the biggest and oldest of them is found in Backnang. From 21st to 24th June the 52nd Backnang Street Festival will be held, and there will be no shortage of culinary delicacies. On each of these days there are also music and dance groups to provide plenty of entertainment.
From 28th to 30th June the town of Waiblingen will once again celebrate its "Altstadtfest" in the historical town centre. The festival is organised solely by Waiblingen's clubs and organisations and attracts more than 100 000 visitors annually. In the Middle Ages Waiblingen was ruled by the Staufer dynasty, so parallel to the Old Town Festival this is celebrated with the Staufer Spectacle. A knights' tournament, archery competitions, entertainers and a medieval market transport visitors back to the 12th and 13th centuries.
For five days, from 14th to 18th July, the timbered houses bordering Schorndorf's marketplace provide the backdrop for the "SchoWo", the Schorndorf Town Festival. Visitors can look forward to a programme of cultural events, music and good food.
The ESTIVAL Esslingen – a new festival to be held from 2nd August to 14th August – promises a summer packed with enjoyment. For 13 days, some 20 wooden booths will stand in the middle of Esslingen's historical half-timbered buildings on the Marketplace/Rathausplatz and serve specialities cooked by chefs from Esslingen and the surrounding region. In addition to this local cuisine, a daily cultural programme invites guests to linger.
The “Filderkraut” (cabbage) is the star of the traditional Krautfestival in Leinfelden-Echterdingen. It has been grown here for centuries, because it only flourishes on the fertile loess-loam of the Filder plateau. This flavoursome subvariety of white cabbage is listed as an important and endangered regional species in the Slow Food Foundation's "Ark of Taste". At the Krautfestival from 19th to 20th October, this delicious vegetable can be enjoyed in the form of sauerkraut, stuffed cabbage leaves or Echterdingen cabbage tart, to name but a few.
The Fellbach Autumn Festival, one of the best-known harvest and wine festivals, has been celebrated since 1948. At the "Weinbrunnen" (wine fountain), the inner courtyard of the town hall and in the cosy wine taverns there are lots of specialities on offer in the way of food and drink. This year the Fellbach Autumn Festival will be held from 11th to 14th October.
