Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, June 2nd - June 5th

A Reminder

Before everything else, a public service for the confused: Please remember that Monday (June 5th) is a holiday (Pentecost) and therefore shops and government offices are closed. 

Carnival

The Carnival of World Cultures is supposed to celebrate Berlin's multicultural heritage, with a huge street fair in Blücherplatz in Kreuzberg (Friday through Monday); a children parade (Goerlitzer Park on Saturday) and the highlight - the Carnival Parade, which takes place on Sunday, from noon, from Hermannplatz to Yorckstrasse. The parade tends to become extremely crowded and it is inadvisable to : 

• Come anywhere near Kreuzberg with a car at the weekend
• Come to the parade with a child who tends to go missing
• Come to the parade or the street party with anyone who is sensitive to big crowds and noises

Having said that, this is an awesome party which is a Berlin staple and one of those things most identified with the city. 

Karnival der Kulturen

• Street Fair: On all four days in Blücherplatz (U Hallesches Tor or Mehringdamm) 

• Children carnival: On Saturday, June 3rd, with a parade that starts from Mariannenplatz at 1:30 p.m and an event for children from 3 p.m. in Görlitzer Park , information in German only

• The big parade: On Sunday, June 4th starting from Hermannplatz at 12:30 and ending in Yorckstrasse only at ca. 9 p.m. This is the time to find a friend with a balcony on the Gneisenaustraße 

The Gymnastics Festival (Turnfest)

The German Gymnastics Festival features many different events, including a Street Fair in Brandenburg Gate on Saturday, a Gala in the Mercedes Benz Arena and of course a big show in the Olympic Stadium.

International German Gymnastics Festival

June 3rd through 10th 

Turnfest Gala in the Mercedes Benz Arena (PR)

Furthermore

• Other funfairs and Street Parties: 

• The Steglitzer Festwoche, a traditional funfair with rides and stands, takes place every day until June 11th. In Bäkepark, 15 minutes walk from Rathaus Steglitz 



Steglitzer Festwoche, for the 65th year!





• World Play Day in Alexanderplatz (Sat/Sun) 

• Renaissance Fairs in Oranieburg Castle and in BUGA Park in Potsdam, Sat / Sun / Mon 

Knights in Oranienburg

• Malzwiese, a music festival in Malzfabrik (details)

• Museums and Castles: 

• Guided tour in the Natural History Museum, Sunday 11:00

• The windmill at the Technical Museum will be open in the rare occasion of Pentecost Monday (details) 

• Throughout the week: The exhibition "Kaboom! Comics and Games", at the Computer Games Museum ( Karl-Marx Allee 93A 10243 Berlin )

• Music:
• Instruments workshop at the Klingendes Museum, Saturday, 2:30 (details)

• Markets and food: 

• And as usual, the weekend flea markets and the street food market in the Kulturbrauerei

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in

Long Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, May 25th - 28th

A Fairly Spiritual Weekend

This weekend is oddly spiritual, given the worldly nature of vice-city Berlin. It starts with the Protestant Assembly (Kirchentag), which takes place at the Christi Himmelfahrt (Ascension) weekend (from Wednesday, May 24th until Sunday, the 29th). 

The Protestant Assembly will also feature a huge Strassenfest, between the Reichstag, Barndenburg Gate and Gendarmenmarkt, on Wednesday, May 24th, from 6 p.m. 

Those interested in religion or religious culture will be also delighted to attend the Long Night of Religions on Thursday, with many places of worship open - including Berlin's only Sikh Temple or Pagan shrines. 

Jewish Heritage

Speaking of religion... 

• Minyan Rosh Hodesh in Rykestr., Friday

• Hashomer Hatzair will meet on Sunday afternoon for Shavuot Party ( check with dikla@hashomer.de ) 

Furthermore

• Funfairs and Street Parties: 
• The Steglitzer Festwoche, a traditional funfair with rides and stands, will start on Thursday, May 25th and will take place every day until June 11th. In Bäkepark, 15 minutes walk from Rathaus Steglitz 

Steglitzer Festwoche, for the 65th year! 

• Schoeneberg will celebrate the "May and Asparagus Festival", on Sat/Sun, in John F Kennedy Platz

•  Biesdorf's Flower Festival will take place in the Schloss Biesdorf's park, between Thursday and Sunday

• Sunday in Britzer Gardens: time for the Fairy Festival (info)

Britz Fairy Festival

Outside Berlin: 

• The Spielefest (Games Fest) will take place in the Schlosspark in neighbouring Oranienburg (end of the S1), on Thursday

• Museums and Castles: 

• Fairy tale in the Grunewald Palace, Sunday at 3 pm (info)

• Throughout the week: The exhibition "Kaboom! Comics and Games", at the Computer Games Museum ( Karl-Marx Allee 93A 10243 Berlin )

• Music:
• The Kinder Open Air in FEZ features quite famous German bands, doing their best at rocking (or hip-hopping) with the kids. Details

• Snow-White and 77 Dwarves, a children opera at the Komische Oper, Saturay 6 pm (details) 

• Markets and food: 

• And as usual, the weekend flea markets and the street food market in the Kulturbrauerei

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in

Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, May 19th - 21st

International Museum Day

Berlin is blessed with almost 200 museums (not counting the many galleries and private collections out there). On Museum Day on Sunday, many of these institutions open for free, or offer special programmes. The full programme for the Museum Day can be found here. 

A few tips: 

• A festive event will take place in the Märkisches Museum, the Museum of European Cultures and Spandovia Sacra (Spandau's historical museum). 

• Among the places that waive their admission fees: The Museum of Technology, the Natural History Museum, the Trabi Museum and the Film and Television Museum 

• Guided tours and activities for children can be found in many museums

Robot in the Museum of Technology

Other events as well: 

• Discover the Peacock Island with the Elf Tana (in German), Sat. 3 p.m (details) 

• Guided tour for children (in German) in Martin Gropius Bau, Sun 1 p.m (details)

Furthermore

• Funfairs and Street Parties: 

• The Spring Funfair in Hasenheide includes rides, stands and many attractions for kids. Open every day (for free - the rides costs a hefty sum), and on Saturday evening, fireworks. Until May 21st 

• Street party in Türschmidtstraße (Lichtenberg, close to the S-Rummelsburg), Sat from 1 p.m. (info)

• The Mall of Berlin is opening an indoor slide, which they claim to be the largest in Germany. They will celebrate the slide with a children party, from 11 a.m. (info)

• Sat/Sun, in Erkner (end of the S3 line in Zone C): street festival in the city centre, and another event at the Erkner train station, including demonstration of trains etc.  

• Music:
• 
  

• Sport
• Avon Women Run, including a Bambini course (details)

• Children party in the TURM Erlebnis City in Oranienburg 

• Fun skating into the night from Alexanderplatz on Sunday, 8-11 p.m (details)

• Markets and food: 

• Handmade market (with food...) in the Kulturbrauerei , Friday afternoon, Saturday from 12:00 till 11 p.m., Sunday up to 6 p.m 

• Ceramics and porcelain market (with the usual fair) in Späth'sche Baumschulen (Späthstr. 80, Berlin) , Sat/Sun, admission fee of EUR 3 per adult

• Seafood Market, in Urban Spree, Sat/Sun, 12:00 - 10:00(p.m) 

• African Food Festival in Alt Stralau 1 (formerly Magdalena), Sat/Sun

• Breakfast Market, in Markthalle IX, unday 10 - 5 p.m.

•  And as usual, the weekend flea markets 

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in

Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, May 12th - 14th

Jewish Heritage: Lag BaOmer

It seems that Lag BaOmer is going to be awesome this year! 

On Sunday, May 14th, Chabad (together with a variety of Jewish organisations including Hashomer Hatzair) are organising a parade. The parade will start at 1 pm from Adenauer Platz and will proceed to Westfälischen Straße 85, where grill, performances and much more will be awaiting! 

Another wonderful event will take place from 2 pm in the Dernburgstraße 36, 14057 Berlin : a party by numerous synagogues together - with a bonfire, music and much more. 

Another Lag BaOmer celebration, in the Central Synagogue (Joachimstaler Str 13), on Sunday from 4 pm (details)

Tough choice! Have fun either way.  

Eurovision (Final)

The Eurovision's final is on Saturday (from 9 p.m.) and if you're into it, there are numerous places you can go to: 

• Hofbräu will start with what they call "the largest Eurovision party in Germany" at 7 p.m, and it will be hosted by icon Nina Queer 

• Art Stalker on Kaiser-Friedrich-Str. 67 10627 Berlin 

Furthermore

• Reminder: Sunday (14th) is Mothers' Day

• Evening tour in the Berlin Zoo, Friday 6:30 pm (details)

• Saturday is free comics day 

• Funfairs and Street Parties: 

• The Spring Funfair in Hasenheide includes rides, stands and many attractions for kids. Open every day (for free - the rides costs a hefty sum), and on Saturday evening, fireworks. Until May 21st 

• Sat/Sun: Asparagus street party in Akazienstr. in Schoeneberg 

• Open Day in the Cabuwazi circuses on Saturday and Sunday; On Saturday in Treptow (details) and Altglienicke (details); on Sunday in Tempelhof (details)

• Museums: 

• Guided tour for children at Haus am Waldsee, Sat 2 pm

• Throughout the week: The exhibition "Kaboom! Comics and Games", at the Computer Games Museum ( Karl-Marx Allee 93A 10243 Berlin )

• Music:
• Musical Workshop for children at the Klingendes Museum, Sat 2:30 - 5 pm (details)

• Sunday: The Big 25 fun-run, including kiddie course (details), 

• Markets and food: 

• Bite Club in the Arena Treptow, Friday 5 pm - midnight

• Handmade and Street Food market in Willner Brauerei (details)

• And as usual, the weekend flea markets and the street food market in the Kulturbrauerei

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in

Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, May 5th - 7th

Festivals / Street Parties

The Späth Nursery is Berlin's prime nursery, and it will celebrate a spring-festival titled "Späth’er Frühling", dedicated to the bloom of the rhododendrons. There will be also a dedicated children stage, with music and children theatre, as well as the usual festival fare. 

Späth’er Frühling

Späthstraße 80/81 . 12437 Berlin 

Sat/Sun all day; admission fees apply

Other events: 

• The Spring Funfair in Hasenheide includes rides, stands and many attractions for kids. Open every day (for free - the rides costs a hefty sum), and on Saturday evening, fireworks. Until May 21st 

• The Weddingmarkt, in Leopoldplatz on Sunday from 12:00: designer products, music and street-food. 

• In Klaistow in Brandenburg, the traditional Spargelfest , on Sunday (Spargelhof Klaistow, Glindower Straße 28 14547 Beelitz GT Klaistow, By public transpot: take Regional RE7 to Beelitz Heilstätten and then bus 643 to Klaistow, Spargelhof. If you've missed to Regional (or took the S7), you can also take bus 643 from the Potsdam Hauptbahnhof). 

Asparagus in Klaistow

• And as usual, the weekend flea markets and the street food market in the Kulturbrauerei

Jewish Heritage

• The Kiddush Pop-Up Dinner takes place each time in a secret location and serves food prepared by a chef. This Friday, for the fifth time, details

Kiddush

• Hashomer Hatzair will meet on Sunday for a fun outdoor activity, details with ( dikla@hashomer.de) , suitable for kids aged 7 and up 

Furthermore

• Sunday is a Verkaufsoffener Sonntag, that is, big shops are open from 1 pm (until 6 pm)

• Young (and old) fans of the fire brigade are invited to Alexanderplatz on Saturday, for the Berlin Firefighter Run, which is a race all the way up to the 37th floor of the Park Inn hotel. In full gear. Fire engines, etc. outside in Alexanderplatz. 

770 stairs, less than 6 minutes

• Cosplay and Manga festival in the Museum of Communication, Sunday, 12 - 6 pm 

• Urban Spree will host the Comic Invasion festival on Saturday and Sunday, featuring a comics market, music, and much more. 

• Museums: 

• Guided tour for children in the Charlottenburg Palace, Sunday, 3 pm (details) 

• Throughout the week: The exhibition "Kaboom! Comics and Games", at the Computer Games Museum ( Karl-Marx Allee 93A 10243 Berlin )

• Music:
• Musical Workshop for children at the Klingendes Museum, Sat 2:30 - 5 pm (details)

About Me

I offer tours in Berlin as well as write about the city as well as published several books and articles in general. I am always free for writing gigs - travel writing or any other types of writing and research - or of course to show you the wonderful city I live in