Großes Ruhpoldinger Dorffest

Großes Ruhpolding Dorffest — Chiemgau Customs in August

Ruhpolding is known worldwide as a center for winter sports and biathlon. But in August, the market town in the Chiemgau region switches gears: the Großes Dorffest takes center stage — the annual summer gathering for locals, summer vacationers, and day-trippers from the entire region.

Ruhpolding in the Traunstein District

Ruhpolding is a market town in the Traunstein district in the state of Bavaria, nestled between Hochfelln, Rauschberg, and Sonntagshorn. With around 6,500 inhabitants, the town thrives on tourism, forestry, and a strong tradition of costume and club life. It is precisely this active club structure that sustains the Dorffest — especially the traditional costume association D'Miesenbacher Ruhpolding, which organizes the event.

The Ice Stadium as a Festival Venue

The festival venue is the ice stadium at Brander Straße — naturally ice-free in August and perfectly suited as a large, covered festival tent. Inside, beer benches are set up, and outside, a beer garden with umbrellas — weather-proof, spacious, and ideally sized for the approximately 1,500 festival guests.

Program and Delicacies

A classic Upper Bavarian mix:

• Trachtenkapelle Miesenbacher to open the festival in the morning
• Performances by the children's and youth groups of the traditional costume association (Plattler, dance)
• Goaßlschnalzen — typical Upper Bavarian folk culture with whip cracking
• Chiemgau Böhmische for the evening — brass music in the Bavarian-Bohemian style
• Fresh draft beer, roast pork, pork knuckles (Hax'n), snack platters (Brotzeiten), homemade cakes

Identity Builder in the Club Year

For the Miesenbacher club members, the Dorffest is the annual highlight: it's a club festival, a showcase for their customs work, and at the same time an important source of income for youth development. Those who attend the festival support a club that has kept Chiemgau's traditional costume and dance heritage alive for decades.