Every year, one of the more than 70 Harvest Festival towns across the region hosts the official opening of the Salzburg Harvest Festival. This year, Dorfgastein in the Gastein Valley had the honor. Visitors had the possibility to look forward to a first-class Harvest Festival atmosphere:
Festival Program 2025
From 10:00 a.m. – Grand Parade
- A large festive parade featuring five traditional brass bands, all local heritage associations, beautifully decorated floats, horse riders, whip crackers, and local groups such as the farmers’ wives and innkeepers, along with numerous delegations from Harvest Festival opening towns of the past 30 years from across the Salzburg region.
- Premiere performance of the “Harvest Festival Polka – Auf zum Bauernherbst” (Off to the Harvest Festival), played simultaneously by five traditional costume brass bands.
- From approx. 12:30 p.m. – Traditional Morning Gathering (“Frühschoppen”)
- Römerplatz: Bürgermusikkapelle Bad Gastein
- Kirchplatz: Embacher Böhmische
- Community Park: U-14 Musi
- Alte Straße: Trachtenmusikkapelle Bad Hofgastein
Various Folk Music Groups along the Village Street
- Silberkrugmusi
- Toiwärts Musi
- Auhäusl Musi
- Die Freunde
- Gasteiner Tanzlmusi
Evening Program
- Römerplatz: Die Gruppe Gastein
- Kirchplatz: Entertainment with 3-E Musi and Steinbauer Max
- Community Park: Alpenpiraten
- Alte Straße: Dorfbrasserie
Colorful Supporting Program
- Harvest Festival stands with handicrafts, wood carvings, glass blowing, and more
- Living traditions with folk dance groups and whip crackers
- Competitions such as hay mowing and “cow patty roulette”
- Agricultural machinery exhibition
Children’s Program
- Face painting
- Craft workshop and woodwork activities
- Building wooden stick houses
- Bouncy castle, carousel, bungee trampoline, climbing wall
Culinary Delights
Culinary specialties at the Harvest Festival stands and local inns:
Indulge in lamb shank, pork chops, roast chicken, meat pastries with sauerkraut, venison ragout with dumplings, farmer’s roast pork, hearty platters, goulash, schnitzel, cheese dumplings (Kasnock’n), chanterelle sauce with dumplings, shredded pancakes (Kaiserschmarr’n), blueberry pancakes, stuffed French toast (Pofesen), traditional donuts, cakes, ice cream, and more.
Please save this date and celebrate with us!
MARIA ALM – 22, AUGUST 2025
More information:
Tourism Association Dorfgastein
Am Gemeindeplatz 7, AT-5761 Maria Alm
T +43 (0) 6584 20388
region@hochkoenig.at
Ferienregion Hochkönig
