A Look Back at the 32nd “Lebendiges Lehde” Village Festival – A Weekend Full of Tradition and Family Fun
A guest post by photographer Doreen Christoph
Friday, September 25, 2026, 6:00 p.m., meet at the “Grauer Hecht” community center. This will be followed by a
A brief discussion of the daily schedule and the admission procedure. A cold drink or two
Drinks are a must—but in moderation, because the next two days are packed with activities and the
A village full of visitors.
What looks like two days of carefree hustle and bustle from the outside actually requires a
Months of preparation, and in the few days leading up to the festival, everyone pitches in. It
It involves setting up and taking down stages and booths, as well as the craft booths and
Food, not to mention the lovingly prepared and decorated boats with their
Boatmen for Sunday’s boat parade. The whole village is taking part, and many volunteers from
outside.
The event kicked off with a grand opening ceremony on Saturday morning at the “Zum fröhlichen Hecht” restaurant
The eventful weekend is finally official.
Once you had passed through the entrance and received your wristband and a program, you could
Explore the village and collect stamps along the way. To do that, you had to visit the stamp station at the
The fire department, the Lehder Friends Association, Rubisko, the fishing club, the honey stand, the
Explore the world of legends and visit the Pukalle shooting range, where you can even participate in some activities, and finally
could win one of the three prizes if I was lucky.
There was plenty to discover between the stations: Visitors could enjoy a shadow play about
Explore the history of Lehde, admire the fashion show in Wurlawy, or at the
watch the traditional construction of a hayloft—known as “Heuschobern.” During the
Spectators were encouraged to cheer loudly for the canoe races or even participate themselves, and in the evening, a
A spookily beautiful ghost boat ride. Music also played in the festival tent throughout the day, among
including the Niewitz Brass Band, who helped create a great atmosphere.
On Sunday, the highlight of the weekend took place: the traditional boat parade. Over
Visitors were able to admire forty beautifully decorated boats. The spots along the shore where the
The boat parade passed by, and the gathering spot at the “Zum fröhlichen Hecht” inn was bustling
It was a popular event and already well-attended well before the 2:00 p.m. start. In the evening, there was live music featuring the
“Fratres,” who even wrote a song especially for Lehde.
Tradition and life on the barge take center stage at the village festival. Many participants
took part in traditional costumes, and it wasn’t just the women from Spinte, dressed in their everyday attire, who
and have fun doing it.
There were traditional crafts made from wood, clay, wool, and much more, as well as products such as
Examples: Spreewald pickles, jam, liqueurs, Spreewald calendars, art on
Canvas or paper and decorated Sorbian Easter eggs that visitors could take home as souvenirs.
It was wonderful, and we’re looking forward to seeing each other again—maybe as early as the 33rd edition, when it’s time to say
“Lebendiges Lehde.”
Doreen Christoph, November 13, 26
