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 has the honor. Visitors can look forward to a first-class Harvest Festival atmosphere:
Festival Program – Saturday, August 23, 2025
Click here for the printed program of the 2025 Harvest Festival Opening
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.
- Official speeches by Governor Karoline Edtstadler and ceremonial beer tapping by Stiegl Brewery.
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
From approx. 3:30 p.m. – Various Folk Music Groups along the Village Street
- Silberkrugmusi
- Toiwärts Musi
- Auhäusl Musi
- Die Freunde
- Gasteiner Tanzlmusi
From approx. 7:00 p.m. – 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.
The event will take place in all weather conditions.
With the official statewide opening of the Salzburg Harvest Festival in Dorfgastein, the Harvest Festival season in the Gastein Valley is just getting started – from the mountaintop mass at Graukogel, to the traditional Böckstein Sword Dance, to the seasonal celebration “Da Summa is aussi – Hoamfoart is” (Summer is over – Time to head home), and all the way to culinary farm walks and alpine hikes in Sportgastein.
More information:
Tourism Association Dorfgastein
Dorfstraße 1, 5632 Dorfgastein
T +43 (0) 6432 3393 412
info@gastein.com
www.gastein.com
