Otterberg celebrates spring fest

by 86th Airlift Wing Public Affairs

Otterberg will sponsor its traditional spring fest Saturday through Monday. Since the middle of the 18th century, every two years, the community celebrates this spring fest, in turn with the old town fest.

The mayor and the Spring Queen Isabell I will officially open the event at 7 p.m. Saturday in front of the Abbey Church. The enthronement of the spring queen will be conducted with the musical support of the Music Association Harmonie from Otterberg. At 8:30 p.m. the regional band Favorits will start entertaining the audience for the rest of the night.
Traditionally, loud gun salutes will wake up Otterberg citizens at 6 a.m. Sunday. Then musicians of the Music Association Harmonie will walk through the streets of the medieval village performing a musical wake up call.

The highlight of the spring fest will be the parade with more than 1,000 participants walking up the decorated main street at 1 p.m. Sunday. Wagons and people in costumes will present the colorful history of Otterberg, there will be people dressed as Cistercian monks, Huguenots, and Wallonians, and noble people in horse-drawn carriages. Spring Queen Isabell l will follow the group in a festive horse-drawn carriage. Local schools, kindergartens, associations and businesses participate as well. After the parade, everybody will walk about 2 kilometers outside of town toward Höringen to the fest grounds in the forest, where festivities will continue. For those who don’t want to or can’t walk, a shuttle bus will be available.

Various music groups from neighboring towns will entertain visitors in the forest. Local restaurants will be in charge of providing food specialties and drinks. Children can enjoy pony riding or take on the challenge of climbing a tree. Everyone making it up to the top will receive a present. Local council members will pass out pretzels to children.

Spring fest will continue Monday when the Otterberg Music Association will march to the fest area in the forest again. Visitors are welcome to join the march starting at 2 p.m. from the town hall (Verbandsgemeindeverwaltung). Again, the forest will turn into a fest area with musical entertainment, eating and drinking. At 6:30 p.m. the fest will close out with a parade walking back to the square in front of the Abbey Church. Here, officials and participants will thank the forestry office for letting them use the fest area in the forest.

For more information visit: www.otterbach-otterberg.de