Groß-Umstadt Twinning Festival: two days of friendship in the Wendelinuspark

Friday evening: after-work, Sound Force One and a wine stand drunk dry

Friday was the opener, a deliberate after-work evening. From 5 pm the stalls around the Pfälzer Schloss opened, and the weariness of the working week quickly evaporated between wine glasses and first conversations. From 7:30 pm the band Sound Force One took the stage in the Wendelinuspark and played a rousing set until shortly before 10 pm – without asking for a fee, a gift that benefited the association greatly.

At the twinning info stand we hardly had a chance to catch our breath that evening: curious people kept stopping, had the committee’s work explained to them and asked questions about Saint-Péray, Santo Tirso and Dicomano. Meanwhile the sausages from Rudi’s Grill sizzled at the food stands while the crêpe stand provided sweet seconds. We rarely had so much going on: by the end of the evening wine, beer and cocktails at the euroBar were almost completely sold out – proof of how thirsty Groß-Umstadt evidently was after this festival.

Saturday in the wine village: fire brigade musicians, Tom Stinner and the play corner for the little ones

Saturday belonged to families and to everyone who preferred things a little more relaxed that weekend. The wine village opened at noon, and at 1 pm the band of the Klein-Umstadt volunteer fire brigade opened the cultural programme with traditional sounds – at first before a rather modest audience, which noticeably filled up over the course of the hour.

Afterwards Tom Stinner took over with handmade live music that suited the summery wine-village atmosphere as if composed especially for it. For the youngest guests a lovingly stocked play corner with puzzles, picture books and craft materials was ready, and the trampolines in the Wendelinuspark were expressly left uncovered for the festival. While the children jumped to their heart’s content, the parents could enjoy their wine in peace – family-friendliness as it should be.

Rote Teufel, wine royalty and a thank-you from the mayor

Around 8 pm things got truly spirited again on the market square: the drum group Rote Teufel, which unites Portuguese rhythms and Groß-Umstadt passion, marched in together with the Umstadt wine royalty and within minutes turned the Wendelinuspark into a stage full of colour and sound. The red jerseys and the unshakeable beat of the drums provided one of the most emotional moments of the entire weekend.

In a short speech the mayor then underlined how important the twinning is to Groß-Umstadt and expressly thanked the organising team – Marcel Zurmöhle, Sabine Braun, Janina Holzapfel and Ingrid Grubmüller – as well as the many volunteer helpers without whom such a festival would simply not be possible. The wine royalty also found clear words on stage for the meaning of the partnerships before the evening wound down comfortably to recorded music.

A festival that makes Europe tangible

What makes this weekend in the Wendelinuspark special is not just the programme but what happens between the programme items: the conversations at the info stand, strangers clinking glasses together, clapping along to rhythms that actually come from Portugal and have long since found a home of their own in Groß-Umstadt. That is exactly what lived international understanding is – not an abstract concept but an evening in a beer garden. That the Twinning Festival has firmly established itself in the town’s events calendar after three editions shows that this European togetherness in Groß-Umstadt is not a flash in the pan but a growing tradition.

The next stop: the anniversary hike to Saint-Péray

No sooner is one festival over than the next event is already waiting in our twinning year: from 31 August the Odenwaldklub sets off on a multi-day hike dedicated entirely to 60 years of twinning with Saint-Péray. If the pictures from this weekend made you curious, take a look at our review of the Twinning Festival 2025 in the Wendelinuspark and compare for yourself how much this festival grows from year to year. The best thing, of course, would be if next time you not only watched but pitched in as a member – become a member now and become part of this growing European family in Groß-Umstadt.