Marché du Pfifferdaj (Ménétriers' Festival Market)
Every first Sunday of September, Ribeauvillé transforms into a living medieval pageant for the Pfifferdaj — the Festival of the Strolling Minstrels — one of Alsace's oldest folk celebrations, dating to 1390. The streets fill with costumed musicians, free-flowing Riesling poured directly from a fountain, and market stalls selling local charcuterie, bretzels and hand-crafted ceramics.
The Wine Fountain Tradition
The centrepiece of the day is the fontaine de vin: a public fountain that genuinely runs with local Alsatian wine for several hours, free of charge, drawing thousands of visitors clutching their own cups. It is not a gimmick — the tradition of offering wine to pilgrims and minstrels at the fountain goes back centuries.
Arrive before 10 a.m. to claim a good spot on Grand'Rue and watch the costumed procession of fife and drum corps wind down the half-timbered lane before the fountain opens.
Market Stalls and Local Producers
Around the Place de la République and along the main street, local producers set up stalls selling Munster cheese, smoked Strasbourg sausages, honey, and pottery decorated with the characteristic Alsatian floral motifs. Several vignerons from the surrounding Grands Crus slopes pour barrel samples throughout the day.
The atmosphere is festive but genuinely local — you will hear as much Alsatian dialect as French, and the food is priced for residents rather than tourists.
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