Eschwege gets in the mood: wrapping wreaths for St. John's Day today!

Eschwege gets in the mood: wrapping wreaths for St. John's Day today!

The popular St. John's Festival begins in Eschwege on June 24, 2025 with a colorful program that combines tradition and conviviality. It starts with wreath-wrapping, which takes place at 4 p.m. in the parking lot behind the Dünzebach gate tower. The Leuchtberg fanfares provide the right atmosphere with musical accompaniment. The culinary offerings also leave nothing to be desired: bratwurst from the charcoal grill and draft beer are available to spoil the guests. Christian Manegold, chairman of the Fanfaren, emphasizes the importance of security measures to guarantee a trouble-free event.

But wreath-wrapping is just the first step in a whole weekend of celebrations. On Friday it's time for "celebrations for the whole family" when children from daycare centers and schools are provided with special St. John's Day rolls from 9:00 a.m. baked by local bakeries. There is a lot of changing in the kindergartens; Oak leaf wreaths are on the program to bring the tradition to life.

Parades and festivities

Friday brings with it several moves. It starts at 9:00 a.m. at the “Schwanenteich” daycare center, where the Alexander von Humboldt School picks up the little festival participants. Two more parades follow at 11:00 a.m.: The “Spatzennest” daycare center will parade on the Heuberg with the marching band from the Friedrich Wilhelm School, while the “Mauerstraße” daycare center will also start its parade at 11:00 a.m., accompanied by the Alexander von Humboldt School.

Another highlight is the plaque exchange, which takes place in the neighboring sports hall from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Here collectors can show their St. John's Day plaques, which have appeared with a new motif since 1949. This year the Eschweg Hospital is celebrating its 150th anniversary, and the special plaque was designed by Michael Kreißler and his daughter Anna-Katharina. This exchange is the third of its kind and also offers the opportunity to exchange and sell literature related to Eschwege.

Cultural delights and opening ceremony

A special treat is the special edition No. 6 of the Eschweg History Papers, which will be available for sale at 3 p.m. This edition contains poems relating to Eschwege, St. John's Day and Open Flair. The authors include well-known names such as Bernd Gieseking, Felix Römer and Ralph Nowag. The volume of poetry “Eschwege – a poem” costs 16 euros and is available during St. John’s Day and in local bookstores.

The official opening of the St. John's Festival takes place on Thursday evening on the market square. Mayor Alexander Heppe will introduce the festival with a poem and thus officially open the celebrations. It will be a festival for all generations that celebrates Eschwege's traditions while creating space for new ideas.

The anticipation of St. John's Day is palpable in the city, and many are looking forward to celebrating the community. The entire program promises to be an experience full of joy, tradition and solidarity. If you haven't decided yet, you should definitely stop by and perhaps enjoy a few delicacies from the grill!

For more information about the festival and events, please visit the following pages: werra-rundschau.de and johannisfest.info.