The Pützchens Markt is a huge fair that runs for just 5 days beginning on the Friday before the 2nd…read moreweekend in September. It brings together hundreds of stalls where you can play carnival games, enjoy varieties of food (German classics such as Bratwurst and Currywurst, crépes, noodles, waffles and the usual delicious sweets). You'll even find a Bavarian beer hall to help you prep for Oktoberfest. There's a tonne of fun to be had with the many rides as well, ranging from several "house of horrors" to dodgem cars to spinning rides, shooting rides, roller coasters and the carnival classic strap-people-in-then-throw-them-around-and-spin-up-in-the-air craziness. All-in-all a great time for everyone! Weekends are typically crowded, as is the final evening with the fireworks show at 10pm. If you come for the final day (Tuesday), you'll enjoy some great bargains at the dutch-style plant auctions (pick up a bunch of house plants for your entire apartment for just a handful of Euro!). Entrance is free - just pay per ride (typically €2 - €7,50).

The Rheinkirmes is a carnival on steroids. I expected something small and kid-focused, like in the…read moreU.S., but the Germans have something different in mind. Apparently this is the second-largest carnival in the country (after Oktoberfest), and the amount of visitors prove that. It was unbelievably crowded on a Saturday night and should be avoided if you're claustrophobic. There's a good mix of things to do for everyone. If you like adventure, there's a crazy Olympic-themed 5 loop roller coaster. If you're into beer or a German, you'll appreciate the 5 or 6 huge beer tents serving up brews from all over Germany. If you want to dance, there's a dancefloor! The downsides to Rhinkirmes are the immense crowd (why doesn't this take place on a larger land location?), the lack of interesting food (only standard German snacks from what I saw), and the high ticket prices (free entrance but the roller coasters cost ~7 Euro for one ride!). But overall, it's worth a visit and one of the more exciting things Dusseldorf has to offer.

I love this Kirmes. It's HUGE! It verges on sensory overload, but they have so many different food…read morestands and things to see. Just walking around it is so nice! It's amazing!