Bergkirchweih

thumb|The Bergkirchweih in 2009 The Bergkirchweih is an annual Volksfest (beer festival and travelling funfair) in Erlangen, Germany. Locals nickname it Berch, which is the East Franconian pronunciation of the German word Berg, meaning mountain or hill.

The Bergkirchweih starts on the Thursday before Pentecost at 5 PM. The opening ceremony, called "Anstich," is performed by the city's mayor and takes place each year at a different beer cellar, which traditionally serves as the storage and cooling facility for local breweries. Thousands of people gather to witness this inaugural event, eagerly awaiting the opportunity to receive a stein of free beer from the first barrel. According to tradition, twelve days later, the last beer barrel is ceremonially buried at the cellar where the next Anstich will occur.