Mainz is a comfortable city of mild winters, with temperatures averaging around freezing and summers that rarely break into the nineties.  Although some visitors may prefer to come to the city based on personal tastes in seasonal weather, the fairs that occur here provide better guidance by which to time a trip—the Mainz calendar is littered with about forty major annual festivals and events.  

The premier athletic occasion would almost certainly be the Gutenberg Marathan, which is held on a Sunday in May and draws in runners from across the globe.  Funded by local athletic companies, supplemented by a gala dinner and a worship service the evening before and celebrated by local musicians the day of the run, the Marathon is one of the most important events in the Mainz year.

June sees the Mainz Midsummer St. John’s Night Festival, a celebration of printing in the city in which the press got an early launch.  Located near the Gutenberg Museum , these four days of art and entertainment are punctuated by marching bands and folk performances.

The Johannis Book Fair is a must-see for anyone touring Europe who has a PhD in Literature as it represents the country’s largest antiquarian book fair.

The city’s Wine Market, taking place every late August/early September, sports reds and whites from hundreds of vintners, a festival that represents a culmination of wine events that have already taken place earlier in the year.

Finally, the Mainz Christmas Fair, a December-long tradition that dates back to before the French Revolution, is a most picturesque and aromatic sensation of lights and gingerbread set against the imposing architecture of the medieval St. Martin Cathedral, a favorite fest for residents and visitors alike.