Jougiba Kischta — St. Jakob Patronal Festival
The traditional patronal festival of St. Jakob in the Ahrntal valley
Edition 2026 not confirmed to date
This edition has not been confirmed by the organiser to date. We recommend checking before going.
About Jougiba Kischta
Jougiba Kischta, the heart of Ahrntal traditions
The Jougiba Kischta is the Kirchtag of St. Jakob, a village in the Ahrntal municipality, located in the highest part of the valley in the Autonomous Province of Bolzano, South Tyrol. The Kirchtag is the patronal feast that has marked the life of German-speaking villages in South Tyrol for centuries: a time when the entire community gathers for music, traditional sports, and conviviality. "Jougiba" is the local dialect name for St. James, the saint to whom the village church is dedicated.
The Kischtamichl tree and the Preisranggeln
The symbol of the festival is the Kischtamichl, a maypole-style tree raised at the start of the event; prizes to be drawn on the final day are hung at its top. Alongside this ritual is the Preisranggeln, an ancient alpine wrestling style where youths and adults compete according to rules passed down through generations. It is a defining discipline of South Tyrol and neighboring Tyrol: in the most recent edition, dozens of athletes participated, ranging from children to adults, with categories for students, youth, and the general class.
Folk music and village festivities
The program combines traditional sports with rich musical entertainment. On Saturday, after the tree-raising and wrestling matches, the evening continues with live music. Sunday opens with the Frühschoppenkonzert, a morning concert by the village band, continues in the afternoon with dancing, and concludes with the drawing of the Kischtamichl prizes accompanied by live music. Everything takes place at the St. Jakob sports field, which becomes the meeting point for the entire upper Ahrntal valley for the occasion.
An autumn event in the upper Ahrntal
The Jougiba Kischta is organized by the Kischta-Michl-Verein, the St. Jakob traditions and leisure association, and generally falls in mid-October, in the heart of the alpine autumn. It is one of the best opportunities to experience the authentic traditions of the Ahrntal far from the main tourist flows, immersed in a high-mountain landscape where the South Tyrolean dialect and centuries-old customs are still a living part of daily life.
Jougiba Kischta — edition 2026
The 2026 edition of the Jougiba Kischta in St. Jakob (Ahrntal municipality) does not yet have official confirmed dates. Based on tradition, the Kirchtag takes place in mid-October and features the classic two-day program: the raising of the Kischtamichl tree and the Preisranggeln on Saturday, followed by the Frühschoppenkonzert, afternoon dancing, and the prize draw on Sunday. It is recommended to check the final dates with the organizing association.
Practical information — Jougiba Kischta
How to get there
St. Jakob is a village in the municipality of Ahrntal, in the upper Ahrntal valley (Province of Bolzano). By car, it can be reached by traveling up the valley from Brunico and Sand in Taufers along the SS621 road. The nearest train station is in Brunico, connected to the village by SAD/Südtirolmobil bus lines.
When
The festival is traditionally held on a weekend in mid-October. The event takes place at the St. Jakob sports field.
Admission
The event is a free-access village festival; some food, drinks, and Kischtamichl lottery tickets are available for purchase.
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Where does it take place — Jougiba Kischta
Sportplatz St. Jakob / Campo sportivo di San Giacomo