Landpartie (Event)

Gartenfestival Ippenburg: Typical for country parties or garden festivals are the white sales tents

Landpartie or garden festival is a term for open-air events that are mostly held in the surroundings of castles or estates. They take place on certain weekends, often on extended weekends such as Ascension Day or Whitsun, mostly in the warm season (from early April to early October).

At country parties, representative historic buildings such as manor houses, castles, estates including their usually park-like surroundings form the visual backdrop for the presentation and sale of plants, horticultural supplies, accessories for garden design and culinary delights. The sales stands are usually located in tents. Country parties also provide the setting for fashion shows, vintage car exhibitions and rallies, and cultural events of all kinds.

Not all garden festivals are country parties. Abroad, especially in English- and French-speaking countries, “garden festival” tends to be synonymous with “garden show” in the style of federal or state garden shows. Such events do not have nearly as much of a sales fair element as country parties, and they are usually designed to last longer than the latter.

There is a trend towards holding country parties during Advent at those locations where they also take place in the warmer season, thus combining the market form “country party” with that of a Christmas market. At such events, both the country party-specific (whereby the proportion of plants is reduced) and Advent-specific offers are made, and often wooden stalls typical of Christmas markets are set up outdoors.

Herrenhausen Garden Festival in the Georgengarten in Hanover, Leibniz Temple on the right
Advent country party with Christmas market on the grounds of Gödens Castle
Country party at Hülshoff Castle in November
Country party “Spring in the Park” at Rheda Castle

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Commons: Land parties in Germany– Collection of pictures, videos and audio files