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Festivals in Germany: 2010

Jan 1 New Year's Day Germany
Jan 6 Holy Three Kings' Day (Epiphany, 12th day after Christmas) Bavaria & Black Forest
Jan-Feb Fasching (Mardi Gras carnival season) Germany
April 2 Good Friday Germany
April 4 Easter Sunday Germany
April-May Spring Festival ("Frühlingsfest" — carnival rides, beer tents; www.muenchner-volksfeste.de) Munich
May 1 May Day (maypole dances, beer drinking) Germany
May 13 Ascension Day (religious festival) Germany
May 15-23 Spring Horse Races (www.baden-galopp.de) Baden-Baden
May 21-24 Meistertrunk Show (medieval costumes, parties in the Biergartens; www.meistertrunk.de) Rothenburg
May 24 Pentecost Monday Southern Germany
June 3 Corpus Christi (religious festival) Southern Germany
Late June City Festival (www.elbhangfest.de) Dresden
June-Sept Wine Fests (weekends) Mosel River region
July 17 Lichter Festival (fireworks, music; www.koelner-lichter.de) Köln
Late July Kinderzeche Festival (www.kinderzeche.de) Dinkelsbühl
Aug 15 Assumption (religious festival, closures) Bavaria
Aug 28-Sept 5 Summer Horse Races (www.baden-galopp.de) Baden-Baden
Sept Berlin Festwochen (arts festival, www.berlinerfestspiele.de) Berlin
Sept 3-5 Reichsstadt Festival (historical celebration, fireworks) Rothenburg
Sept-Oct Various Wine Festivals (weekends) Rhine River region, including Bacharach & St. Goar
Sept 18-Oct 3 Oktoberfest (beer tents, parade, carnival games, and rides; www.oktoberfest.de) Munich
Oct 3 German Unification Day (national holiday, closures) Germany
Oct 15-17 Fall Horse Races (www.baden-galopp.de) Baden-Baden
Oct 31 Reformation Day (celebrates Martin Luther) Germany
Nov 1 All Saints' Day (religious festival, some closures) Southern Germany
Dec Christmas Markets Nürnberg, Berlin, Köln, Frankfurt, Rothenburg, Munich, Würzburg & more
Dec 25 Christmas Germany
Dec 26 St. Stephen's Day (religious festival) Germany

Updated for 2010. For lots more information, check out our best-selling Rick Steves' Guidebooks — or join us on one of our free-spirited tours in Germany.