What is Schützenfest?

A banquet hall decorated for an event with long tables covered in blue and white checkered tablecloths, with small floral centerpieces. The room features flags hanging from the ceiling, chandeliers, and a large stage at the front with a decorated backdrop.

Schützenfest is a German fest dating to medieval times. It celebrates an alert marksman (Schütze) saving a young child's life from an eagle attack. The grateful townspeople crowned this person Schützenkönig.

Schützenfest was brought to Cincinnati in 1866 by German immigrants. It is actually older than the Cincinnati Reds!


The Kolping Society crowns our Schützenkönig each year by the marksman who shoots down the last piece of a hand-carved wooden eagle, perched high on a pole.


You do not want to miss our Schützenfest Gemütlichkeit of beer, wine, food, and entertainment for the whole family! Please enjoy our Website and Facebook Page for more information on our outstanding food and refreshments as well as our fantastic entertainment lineup!


Schützenfest benefits the Cincinnati Kolping Society and its many philanthropic efforts.

Last years Recap!

Here’s a look at Schützenfest in full swing! Packed tents, live music, great food, and cold drinks. If you joined us last year, you know how much fun it was. If not, this is just a glimpse of what’s waiting for you this June!

An elderly man with a gray beard, wearing a hat and plaid shirt, holding a long pole at an outdoor event with several women in the background.
A group of men dressed in traditional Bavarian clothing celebrating outdoors with trees in the background, some wearing hats and lederhosen, holding a man up in the air.
Group of young men performing a traditional dance in a wooden pavilion, with audience watching and some dressed in folk costumes.
People celebrating inside a wooden hall decorated with string lights, with a man sitting on the shoulders of two others, raising his fist in the air, wearing traditional German attire.
Group of people dressed in traditional German folk costumes, dancing and playing music at an outdoor event under string lights, with a man chopping wood during a performance.
Crowd of people at a fairground during dusk with colorful sky, tents, and amusement rides in the background.
A carnival at dusk with amusement rides, including a Ferris wheel with lights, and a carousel with children. There are parked cars in the foreground, and the sky is partly cloudy with the sunset.
An outdoor gathering at dusk with many people sitting at wooden picnic tables under string lights in a wooded area.
A band of musicians performing on a stage decorated with Bavarian flags and banners, with some members playing brass instruments and drums, and one person standing with a large beer mug.