Dates 2021: 2nd to 18th July
Würzburg's Kiliani Fair (colloquially referred to as “Mess”) takes place every year in July. In 2012, the largest folk festival in Lower Franconia broke the visitor record with one million visitors. The venue is the Talavera car park in the Zellerau district of the city. “Kiliani” has a historic background: the missionary activity in Franconia by the Irish missionary bishop Kilian in around 686 AD. St. Kilian brought Christianity to Lower Franconia with his companions Colman and Totnan – in around 689 AD, they died the martyr's death. St. Kilian's Day is celebrated on 8th July. The so-called Kiliani octave is celebrated for eight days with various activities, services of worship and pilgrimages.The folk festival is opened and closed with a firework display. The traditional opening also includes a kilometre-long, colourful traditional dress parade with a number of traditional dress, fanfare and music groups which goes through the city centre to the site of the festival on the first day. The sales fair in the market square has taken place in parallel with the Kiliani Fair since 1030. The Kiliani Fair, approved by Emperor Konrad II, was separated from this in 1846.
On the Talavera fairground, around 80 showmen provide a number of rides for adults and children – bumper cars, ghost train, merry-go-rounds, swings, roller coasters, log flume and much more. The Ferris wheel provides a fantastic view of the fairground and the city. Two beer tents with a music and entertainment program and various stalls provide a wide-range of culinary offerings, including steckerlfisch (grilled fish on a stick), bratwurst and candy floss. Every Wednesday is a family day with reductions on fairground rides and food stands. On Mondays, surprises await the female visitors at the Radio Charivari LADIES NIGHT. The Kiliani bike ride provides routes of different levels of difficulty for any age.
