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Duisburg’s Pumpkin Festival Becomes a Broader Autumn Celebration with Markets and Family Activities

The renamed Duisburger Herbstfest brings seasonal food, crafts, entertainment and special Sunday shopping to Königstraße on 25 October 2026

KEY TAKEAWAYS

  • Duisburg’s former Pumpkin Festival relaunches as Duisburger Herbstfest on Sunday 25 October 2026.
  • The Königstraße festival runs from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.; participating shops open from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.
  • Seasonal food, farmers’ and craft markets, performances and family workshops are planned.
  • Pumpkin carving and lantern making remain among the attractions ahead of Halloween and St Martin’s Day.

Duisburg is giving one of its established autumn celebrations a broader identity this October. Formerly known as the Pumpkin Festival, the city-centre gathering returns as the Duisburger Herbstfest on Sunday, 25 October 2026, expanding beyond its familiar Halloween-season theme to include regional food, artisan stalls, family entertainment and a special Sunday shopping opportunity.

Organised by Duisburg Kontor, the festival will run from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. along Königstraße in the central pedestrian district. Shops participating in the accompanying Sunday opening will welcome customers from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. The combination offers residents and visitors an opportunity to explore the city centre through a seasonal street event rather than a conventional retail visit.

The change in name reflects an effort to widen the celebration without abandoning pumpkins. Alexander Klomparend, Duisburg Kontor’s spokesperson, said the organisers wanted to represent the variety of experiences associated with autumn and encourage people to enjoy the city centre together.

Seasonal flavours and handmade discoveries

Market stalls will offer autumn dishes including flammkuchen, potato pancakes, soups and pretzels. A farmers’ market will bring together produce, Italian delicacies, antipasti, spices, seeds, confectionery and flowers, alongside textiles and leather goods.

Visitors interested in locally made and decorative goods will find ceramics, wooden and concrete ornaments, home accessories, handmade gifts, embroidered and patterned clothing, artificial flower arrangements, wreaths, greetings cards and prints. The programme also features baby goods, soft toys and examples of Chinese painting, broadening the selection beyond traditional harvest-market merchandise.

Children can carve pumpkins and prepare for St Martin’s Day

Although the event has a new name, pumpkin carving remains part of the programme, offering families a creative activity ahead of Halloween on 31 October. A lantern-making workshop also links the festival to the local St Martin’s procession planned for 6 November. Other activities include face painting, a bouncy castle, a speed-kick challenge, a bungee trampoline, a miniature forklift course, pottery and creative sessions, including painting activities by Neon Point.

A children’s entertainment area will present performances from late morning through the afternoon. The organiser’s German-language event programme provides scheduled appearances that include a fitness warm-up, fairy-tale characters, The Pumpkins and the Clownsbrothers. Guided witch-themed walks are also planned, providing another seasonal activity for families.

Community organisations will participate alongside the market and entertainment stalls. Expected contributors include the Duisburg Bee Museum, Duisburg Fire Brigade, Caritas‘ energy-saving advice programme and Tierschutzzentrum Duisburg, as well as local businesses presenting information and interactive activities.

A city-centre outing with afternoon shopping

For visitors planning a day in Duisburg, the event’s central setting makes it possible to combine a farmers’ market, children’s workshops and live entertainment with an afternoon visit to city-centre shops. The festival itself runs from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on 25 October, while the special Sunday retail opening is scheduled for 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

Further details are available from Duisburg Kontor’s announcement (in German) and its festival information page (in German). The expanded format gives the former Pumpkin Festival a wider role in Duisburg’s autumn events calendar, while retaining the pumpkin-carving traditions that made the original gathering recognisable.

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