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Kirchheimbolanden will host its “16th Kerchemer beer week” today through Sunday. “Kerchem” is the local dialect term for Kirchheimbolanden.
Since 1986, the town celebrates this event every other year to honor the German brewing tradition and the strict brewing regulations, which emphasize the high quality and purity of German beer.
The fest will take place on the Herrengarten festgrounds, an area next to the county administration office (Kreisverwaltung).
City officials expect thousands of visitors in their “little residence,” who are interested in tasting various kinds of beer. More than 25 breweries will present more than 50 types of beer while an entertaining program will be performed.
The beer king and the hop queen will officially open the fest by tapping the first keg of beer at 7:30 p.m. today. The rock and pop band Die Dicken Kinder and DJ Marco Blechschmidt will provide the musical entertainment starting at 9 p.m.
Saturday entertainment will begin at 6 p.m. with the music band Wangen from South Tyrol. The band Habachtaler will play party music at 9 a.m. A “musical Fruehschoppen” (early beer get-together) with German singers will begin at 11 a.m.
Highlight of the beer week will be the fest parade with more than 1,000 participants starting at 2 p.m. Sunday. The parade with decorated floats, horses, music and walking groups will go through the streets in the center of town and end on the festgrounds in the historical part of town. Beer and wine majesties will make their appearance at 5 p.m. before the party band The Entertainers will close out the event.
Admission to all performances is free.
Local restaurants, butchers and bakers will serve beer-specific and Palatinate food specialties.
Kirchheimbolanden is located north of Kaiserslautern, about 25 kilometers from Sembach on federal street B40.
The town is called “the little residence,” because it was the residence of the princes of Nassau-Weilburg for about 400 years. In 1368, it received town rights and that’s when the town wall with town gates and towers were built. The palace, palace garden, ball house, orangery, court church and Baroque houses were built in the 18th century. These buildings reflect the character of the town.
For more information, visit www.kirchheimbolanden.de.
