Shooting festival and fair: Mettmann is looking forward to spectacular days!

Shooting festival and fair: Mettmann is looking forward to spectacular days!

Today, June 27, 2025, the traditional shooting festival of the St. Sebastianus Rifle Brotherhood in Mettmann opened its doors. The festival started with a hearty tapping of the keg by Mayor Sandra Pietschmann in bright sunshine and good spirits in the city center, which is now once again becoming the pulsating heart of the city. People came to enjoy the opening festivities and celebrate the beginnings of the St. John's Fair. There is satisfaction not only among the visitors, but also among the showmen and the mayor of the fair, Volker Stein, who praises the high number of visitors on the entertainment mile between the anniversary square and the Königshof gallery. What is particularly worth mentioning is that Michael John proudly looks back on 40 years as a drum major and continues the tradition.

The shooting festival will take place this year from June 28th to July 2nd and will cause a great stir as part of the St. John's Fair. Brother master Daniel Gebauer promises not only a harmonious celebration, but also bright weather and a great atmosphere. The festivities already sound promising, as the preparations went without any problems and even discussions with a possible wine dealer participation are being held “under the washboard” in order to further improve the offer for visitors, as the announcement by Volker Stein shows.

A look at the program highlights

The events are well-filled and promise lots of great experiences for young and old. On Friday, June 27th, there will be a big party with the band “Pirates of Love” in the festival tent at 8 p.m. The fireworks display at 10:25 p.m. will provide fire magic. Saturday is all about shooting: from 10:30 a.m., student, young and old shooters can put their skills to the test in pawn shooting, followed by a celebrity cup shooting at 12 p.m. At 6 p.m. the day will be rounded off with a shooting mass in St. Lambertus. All festivities culminate in the investiture and the larger tattoo on the market square at 7 p.m. Entertainment is also provided in the evening: the next party takes place at 8 p.m., this time with the band “Trials of Life”.

It starts early on Sunday, June 29th: the drum and fanfare corps as well as the city orchestra are active at 6 a.m. and wake up the city. At 11:30 a.m. a musical breakfast with “Rahels Musi” awaits visitors. The big procession through the city center with a parade on Breite Straße starts at 2:30 p.m. and features participants from different regions. The royal proclamation at 4:30 p.m. also promises to be an emotional highlight, not least because Andreas Themann, the brotherhood's first managing director, reported that there were 10-12 candidates for the royal title.

A celebration for the whole family

The end of the St. John's Fair on Monday, June 30th will be celebrated with a cozy fair breakfast in the marquee at 11 a.m. From 2 p.m. there will be live music with the band “The Irresistible Sympathizers”. The St. John's Fair itself ends on Monday evening, but the shooting festival continues until Tuesday, July 2nd, with the coronation ball at 8 p.m. A party band ensures a lively atmosphere here.

Whether for celebrating, shooting or just enjoying the atmosphere – Mettmann citizens and guests can look forward to an unforgettable time. Shooting festivals are deeply rooted in German culture and bring young and old together to celebrate traditions and community. A quick look outside the box shows that Mettmann and his festival are part of a larger movement that makes shooting clubs and festivals internationally known, as alle-schuetzenvereine.de emphasizes. So let's go to the anniversary celebration, where the festive atmosphere is just bubbling!