Weekend Events for the Whole Family in Berlin, September 29th through October 1st (actually, Oct 3rd)

German Unification Day on October 3rd

So, before you forget: October 3rd is a public holiday, which means that government offices, schools, kitas, and shops are closed. There are obviously many public events at the weekend and on Unification Day.  

There will be a huge festival around Brandenburg Gate, with concerts, food stalls and the like. The festival starts already on October 1st and will continue until October 3rd, which is defined "Family Day". 

Not only Unification Day - there is also Day of the Open Mosques in Germany, where numerous mosques will open 
http://www.tagderoffenenmoschee.de/ 


Another aspect of the holiday is the fact that Sunday is Open Shops Sunday, with big chains open between 1 and 6 pm. 

Light! 

There is the famous "Festival of Lights", which is due to start only in October, and there is a little brother, who comes before it: "Berlin Leuchtet", during which many buildings are beautifully lit. It starts this Friday, until October 15th

Furthermore

• More Funfairs and Street Parties 

• Pumpking Festival in Akazienstr. in Schoeneberg, Sat + Sunday 

Pumpkin Festival

• Festival of Inclusiveness at the Rolandufer in Mitte (near S/U Jannowitzbruecke) on Sat + Sun 

• Another street party, on Wilhelminenhofstraße (Schoeneweide), on Sunday

• Potsdam will celebrate the Apple Festival on Saturday and Sunday, in the BUGA Park 

• And another cool festival in the outskirts of Berlin: The "Juggler Festival" in the Oranienburg Castle and Park (Schlosspark Oranienburg), Sat + Sun + Mon + Tue  

• Oktoberfest: 

• In the Zentraler Festplatz in Kurt Schumacher Damm

• In the Britz Gardens, till Tuesday 

• In Alexanderplatz, until October 8th 

• In the Neuen Lustgarten in Potsdam, with an event titled "the largest Oktoberfest in the region", until October 22nd 

• Museums and Casltes

• Every Saturday: workshops for children (from 2:30 onwards) at the Museum of Technology; Every Sunday, 11:00 and 3:00 - guided tour (in German) in the museum; and on this Sunday - also in English, at 3:00 

• Every Sunday , 12:00, the "Mighty Wurlitzer" in the Musical Instruments Museum

• Guided tour for families in the Charlottenburg Castle, Sunday, 3 pm 

• Saturday/Sunday: Harvest Festival in the Museum-Village in Dueppel 

• Harvest also in the Berlinische Galerie on Sunday (11:00), with plants workshop for the autumn 

• Music: 
• Saturday, 5 pm: Staatsoper for Everybody! A free concert in Bebelplatz 

• And also a baby concert in the Deutsche Oper, on Saturday

• On Tuesday (Reunification Day), the Komische Oper will have a children event from 10:00, with a free entrance until 6 pm 

• Markets and Food: 

• African Food Festival in Stalau1 , Sat + Sun

• Sunday is also the date of another food festival, Indian Food Festival and the location is no less than the Indian Embassy. There is a lot of security regulations you have to comply with, so read carefully. 

• On Saturday, there is also a Gin Festival, in the Spreewerkstaetten 

• What's better than BiteClub? A double BiteClub, on Saturday and Sunday, for the European Street Food Awards , in the Arena Treptow 

Yom Kippur

 And in a striking change from the food makets: Yom Kippur Eve is on Friday, September 29th, and most services will start at 6 pm: 

• 6 pm: Fraenkelufer, Rykestr, Oranienburger Str., Pestalozzistr , Chabad
• 6:30 : Joachimstaler Str., The Sephardi Synagogue on Passauer Str 
• 7:30 : Sukkath Schalom 

On Saturday morning, most services will start at 10:00; the Sephardic Synagogue will start at 8:00 and Chabad/Joachimstaler will start at 9:00 am. 

Later in the week...

Just after Yom Kippur, there is also Sukkoth, and this year, you can find activities for kids in the Fraenkelufer Synagogue, Wednesday at 4:30 

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, September 22nd through 24th

Elections

On Sunday, Germany will cast its vote. If you have voting rights, don't hesitate, vote. 2016 was enough of an example, what happens when people decide to snub voting and leave the elections to extremists. 

Furthermore

• More Funfairs and Street Parties
• Oktoberfest! The Zentraler Festplatz in Reinickendorf goes all Bavarian at the weekend and all the way to October 15th. Octoberfest is not only all about beer, it is also about rides, stands and other funfair stuff. The funfair is open daily, from 3 pm, for free (the rides cost money, of course). Wednesday is half-priced day and there are fireworks on Saturday.Transport: Bus X21 or M21 from the U7 in  Jacob-Kaiser-Platz 

• Another Oktoberfest in the Britzer Garten, Sa+ Su

• Oktoberfest in Alexanderplatz, until Oct 8th

• And in Marzahn, Landsberger Allee / Blumberger Damm, for hard-core fans of Cindyisms. 

• Autumn Festival in the Späthsche Baumschule in Treptow , Sat + Sun 

• Autumn Festival also in Milchhof Mendler , Sat + Sun 

• Museums and Casltes

• Every Saturday: workshops for children (from 2:30 onwards) at the Museum of Technology; Every Sunday, 11:00 and 3:00 - guided tour (in German) in the museum

• Knights and castles, in the German Historical Museum, Sunday at 2

• Saturday is Day of the Kindercafe and a few of them will offer activities (list here) 

• Music: children concerts at the Philharmonie, on both Sat and Sunday

• Sports
• The Berlin Marathon will take place on Sunday. Avoid using a car in the city centre, but otherwise enjoy seeing the runners or participating in the children races (Saturday, 11:00) 

• Markets and Food: Market in Himmelbeet, Saturday
• 
  

Rosh Hashnah 

The Jewish New Year will be celebrated on September 20th this year, and you can enjoy the holiday collectively here: 

• Bleiberg's Cafe (Kosher/Dairy), 20th at 20:30 , EUR 40 p.P 

• Another kosher meal at the Milo Restaurant, Wed., 8 pm, for EUR 50 

• Children activities for Rosh Hashanah on September 21st, in the morning, in the Fraenkelufer Syngogue

 

Later in the week...

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, September 15th through 17th

World Children Day

The World Children Day will be celebrated on Sunday in Potsdamer Platz. There will be stands of various children organisations, activities and food. In addition to the Children Day activities, there will be a Brandenburg Organic Festival (Brandenburg Biofest) around the Children Day, promoting all kinds of organic products from the neighbouring Bundesland. 

World Children Day in Potsdamer Platz
Sunday, free admission
Also: the "Brandenburg Organic Festival" 

Giant Kite Festival

Kites are generally one of the symbols of the Berlin windy autumn. Sort of making a lemonade out of those windy-windy lemons. And Tempelhofer Feld is a wonderful place to indeed try your best in flying a kite. The kite festival, however, is not meant for tiny toy kites (although I guess many will bring their own), but for huge kites. How gigantically huge? See the promo foto... 

Saturday, Tempelhofer Feld, free admission

Furthermore

• More Funfairs and Street Parties

• Street party in the Preussenallee in Westend, Sat + Sun

• Saturday: Apple festival in the Oranienburg Schloss

• Also on Saturday: street party in Karl Kunger Str in Alt Treptow 

• Sunday: pumpkin festival in the Britzer Gardens

• Museums and Casltes

• The MachMit Museum celebrates its 25th birthday on Friday afternoon, 3 - 6 PM

• Children party at the Museumdorf Dueppel, all day on Sunday

• Every Saturday: workshops for children (from 2:30 onwards) at the Museum of Technology; Every Sunday, 11:00 and 3:00 - guided tour (in German) in the museum

• With Tana the Fairy in the Peacock Island, Saturday, 3 pm 

• Children workshop at the Bauhaus Archiv. Sunday , 11 - 2pm 

• Guided tour for children in Charlottenburg Castle, Sunday, 3 pm 

• Music: 
• "Neukölln Country & Folk 2017" Country Music festival in Schloss Britz , Saturday 

• The "Torchlight Concert" is a Berlin tradition: a rock concert for kids (with the children band Rumpelstil) in the Waldbuehne. With torches, obviously, bring one (torch / flashlight) from home , Saturday, from 5 pm 

• Sports
• Funrun for the whole family around the Weissensee lake, Saturday, from 1 pm 

• Another fun-run in Hoheschoenhauser, Saturday

• Markets and Food: 

• The Berlin Art Week is a good excuse to get four whole days of BiteClub, at the Station (near the Technische Museum) - Thu through Sun

• A Sake Festival (actually, calling itself "Japanese Sake Festival", to which the witty Mr. Eatler remarked "[the name] seems redundant considering the Michigander Sake Festival never really took off"), Sat + Sun in Urban Spree

• Potato Festival in Domaene Dahlem, Sat + Sun

• The "Green" Market, Saturday and Sunday all day at the Funkhaus, Neapelstr

• An extremely flowery Breakfast Market in Markthalle IX, on Sunday

•  The Stone craft beer brewery is celebrating its first anniversary on Sunday and you're invited. The location is far-far-away, in Mariendorf, but their beer is excellent (trust me, I do tours...) 

• Brunnenmarkt, also on Sunday 

Hebrew / Israeli / Jewish Heritage - Rosh Hashnah 

The Jewish New Year will be celebrated on September 20th this year, and you can enjoy the holiday collectively here: 

• On this Friday, children activity at the Rykestr Synagogue with Rosh Hashanah themes

• Bleiberg's Cafe (Kosher/Dairy), 20th at 20:30 , EUR 40 p.P 

• Another kosher meal at the Milo Restaurant, Wed., 8 pm, for EUR 50 

• Children activities for Rosh Hashanah on September 21st, in the morning, in the Fraenkelufer Syngogue

Later in the week...

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, September 8th through 10th

Open Day in Listed Buildings 

Listed and heritage buildings from all over Germany will open at the weekend for visits. You can also filter for only culinary stuff, yard parties or activities for children. Among the highlights : 

• Lots of activities around the RAW  in Friedrichshain 

• Street party in the Regenbogenfabrik 

• Activities in the Oekowerk in Grunewald

• Street party in Hansaplatz, for the 60th anniversary of the InterBau 1957, on Saturday

• Schloss Bellvue is open , Saturday

Furthermore

• More Funfairs and Street Parties

• Saturday in Tempelhofer Feld: A huge picnic for new and old Berliners alike, under the title "Welcome Festival" 

• Pool party in the Haubentaucher in the RAW compound on Sunday. Goes well with the Open Day above-mentioned, but entry fees (as well as long queues) apply

• Oktoberfest in the Milchhof Mendler, in Neukoelln, Fri/Sat 

• street party on the water in Rummelsburg on Saturday,  Zillepromenade ; and also in Haus Schwarzenberg in Mitte ; also on Laskerstraße in Friedrichshain

• And the straw-ball rolling festival in Rixdorf (Richardplatz) is on Saturday, starting at 2 pm (and rolling from 3) 

• Not really "for the whole family" but certainly something worth mentioning: The Folsom Street Party, on Fuggerstraße in Schoeneberg

Folsom

• Wine festival (with lots of activities) in the Dorfteich in Alt Lichtenrade throughout the weekend. 

• And also in Breite Straße in Pankow

• Harvest Festival in Alt-Marzahn, 12685 Berlin at the weekend, with a parade on Saturday, 11:00 

• Museums and Castles

• Guided tours, in the evening, in the Berliner Zoo and in Tierpark, Friday

• Every Saturday: workshops for children (from 2:30 onwards) at the Museum of Technology; Every Sunday, 11:00 and 3:00 - guided tour (in German) in the museum

• Guided tour for families in German in the Kafka Exhibition, Martin Gropius Bau, Sunday 1 pm 

• Guided tour for children in the Marble Palace in Potsdam, with the Palace Dragon, Sunday 2:30 pm 

• Music: Lolla Palooza Germany will start on Saturday (until Sunday) with an impressive line-up and even a children area, so if you can still scrap tickets (a few left as I am writing this), no excuses not to go... Sat/Sun in Hoppegarten 

• And on the other side of art/entertainment - Stars in Concert are having an open day 

• Festival for DIY instruments, in Ottoplatz in Moabit, the whole weekend

• Sports: 
• The Volvo fun-run in Tierpark, Sunday (including a children course) 

• Markets and Food: 

• If you're into a bit of an excursion, a nice craft beer festival in the Alte Börse in Marzahn on Saturday

• The Flowmarkt, Sunday in the Prinzessinnengarten 

• Weddingmarkt, Sunday in Leopoldplatz

• Street Food market in the Kulturbrauerei, Sunday

Jewish Heritage + Later this week 

This Friday at 5:30 there is a children service at the Pestalozzistr synagogue for those interested (next week: a special Rosh Hashana edition). 

More importantly, later this week, there is the Seret Israeli Film Festival, with many intriguing films. 

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