Lappach Festival Week – 100 Years of the Lappach Volunteer Fire Brigade

A Century of Volunteering in Lappach

In 2026, the Freiwillige Feuerwehr Lappach marks a century of service to the community. The milestone is celebrated in Lappach, a tiny village at an altitude of approximately 1,400 meters in the municipality of Mühlwald (Selva dei Molini), nestled in the Mühlwald Valley in the Province of Bolzano, in the heart of South Tyrol. In this secluded corner of the Taufers-Ahrntal valleys, the volunteer fire brigade has always been much more than an emergency service: it is the cornerstone of village social life, and its centenary naturally becomes a celebration for the entire community.

A Double Celebration for the Centenary

The festivities are divided into two distinct moments. The Festwoche (Festival Week) kicks off the celebrations from June 3rd to 8th, 2026, with a series of themed evenings. The official main centenary festival takes place on August 1st and 2nd, 2026, at the Lappach Festplatz, featuring the most solemn and institutional moments of the anniversary.

The Festival Week (June 3–8, 2026)

• Wednesday, June 3 – Disco party with DJ Stocki to kick off the festivities.
• Thursday, June 4 – Historischer Feldtag, a historic field day with legendary John Deere tractors in action, followed by a traditional Weisswürste (white sausage) breakfast.
• Friday, June 5 – Tag der Betriebe & Nachbarschaft, a day for local businesses and neighbors, featuring music by the Duanixmusi group.
• Saturday, June 6 – Bier & Weinfest, a beer and wine festival with the band Soundscape.
• Sunday, June 7 and Monday, June 8 – Festsonntag and Kreisbauerntag, the festive Sunday and the local farmers' day.

The Main Festival (August 1–2, 2026)

The heart of the centenary beats at the Festplatz on the first weekend of August. On Saturday, August 1st, the party comes alive in the afternoon and continues with a big disco night. Sunday, August 2nd is the solemn day: in the morning, a festive mass is held under the pavilion, accompanied by the presentation of the brigade's history, followed by concerts from the Musikkapelle Lappach and Musikkapelle Mühlwald local brass bands, and afternoon dance entertainment with musicians from the Puster Valley.

An Immersion in South Tyrolean Culture

The fire brigade festival is one of the most authentic expressions of South Tyrolean popular tradition. The costumed brass bands (Musikkapelle), the open-air mass, typical mountain cuisine, and the enthusiastic participation of the whole village make this centenary an ideal opportunity to discover the German-speaking culture of South Tyrol. The alpine backdrop of the Mühlwald Valley, just a stone's throw from the Kronplatz, Klausberg, and Speikboden ski areas, adds charm to an event that perfectly blends community spirit, music, and local gastronomy.