Five days of celebration, entertainment and pithy public speeches
When the Gillamoos festival is taking place in Abensberg, the whole region is in a special state, what the locals call “Gillamoos fever”. Our fifth season is upon us! We start to prepare for the festival at least five months in advance. That is exactly the amount of time it takes us to brew our Gillamoos Beer. It goes down so smooth and is brewed especially for the festival, served only in the Kuchlbauer beer tent and our Kuchlbauer Weißbierstadl. There is entertainment for people of all ages including a livestock and goods market, trendy carnival rides and hearty Bavarian treats. That is not all! Gillamoos also offers an annual competition for the Dirndl queen and features star guest performers and speakers on our many stages.
Christian roots
Gillamoos is one of the largest festivals in Bavaria and its tradition dates back hundreds of years. Originally, there was a market for people that were going on a pilgrimage to honor Saint Giles. That is actually how Gillamoos got its name – a small chapel called “St. Gilgen im Moos (Saint Giles in moss)” was the starting point for the pilgrims on September 1st, St. Giles’ patron saint day. That is also why today, Gillamoos traditionally opens its doors on the Thursday before the first Sunday in September.