Fasnacht 2026: What's Love Got To Do With It"
Fasnacht — A Living Winter Gathering
Step out of the cold and into a growing winter gathering of live music, masks, noisemakers, and ritual fire. AltFestEvents presents Fasnacht, a family-friendly seasonal celebration inspired by European winter and carnival traditions, shaped by the people, place, and moment that carry it forward today.
Held in the heart of February, Fasnacht marks the turning from winter toward spring through gathering, misrule, masking, music, and communal release. Rather than centering romance, spectacle, or passive entertainment, the night focuses on shared experience—bringing people of all ages together in a space rooted in tradition and fully alive in the present.
This is not a reenactment or a historical pageant. Fasnacht is a living gathering, evolving year to year and shaped by those who attend. Some arrive in masks or handmade costumes, others come as they are. Participation is encouraged but never required—watching, listening, wandering, dancing, and simply being present are all valid ways to take part.
Throughout the evening, live music and performance unfold across the venue, flowing between rooms and styles. The lineup spans Appalachian-rooted songwriting, polka, punk, rockabilly, folk, roots, percussion, and experimental performance, creating a shifting soundscape that builds as the night goes on. The evening is guided by a master of ceremonies and story guide, helping weave the night together without locking it into a rigid schedule.
As the gathering grows, sound, movement, and ritual elements begin to converge, leading toward a shared moment of release: the burning of the Old Man Winter effigy. This ceremonial act marks the collective letting go of winter’s weight and the turning toward spring. It is approached with care, intention, and safety, and is designed to be welcoming and appropriate for all ages.
Fasnacht is family-friendly throughout the entire night. Children, parents, elders, first-time attendees, and longtime community members are all part of the gathering. The atmosphere is welcoming rather than intimidating—curious, creative, and communal. Families are free to move between spaces, step outside as needed, and engage with the event at their own pace. Ear protection for young listeners is encouraged.
Beyond music, Fasnacht includes immersive and ritual elements that may appear organically throughout the evening—movement-based performance, percussion, fire elements, roaming performers, and visual art. These moments are not always announced, allowing discovery and surprise to be part of the experience.
Food, drink, conversation, and warmth are all part of the night. Fasnacht is as much about being together as it is about what happens on stage. It is a chance to reconnect in the middle of winter, to make noise, to laugh, to reflect, and to mark the seasonal shift collectively.
Masks are welcome. Curiosity is encouraged. Participation happens at your own comfort level.
Fasnacht is not something you simply attend—it is something you help create by showing up. Each year adds another layer, another memory, another small tradition carried forward by the community itself.
Come Scare Winter Away.
Event Links
Website: https://go.evvnt.com/3471549-0
Tickets: https://go.evvnt.com/3471549-1
Facebook: https://go.evvnt.com/3471549-3
