Aufsteirern Graz in Graz
Aufsteirern is a three-day folk-culture festival held each September in central Graz, dedicated to Styrian traditional costume, folk dance and folk music. Founded through a 2001 initiative by the Styrian regional government and run by an association until 2007, it now draws more than 130,000 visitors, making it Austria's largest folk-culture festival outside the Munich Oktoberfest format.
Aufsteirern grew out of an initiative by Styria's then deputy governor Leopold Schoggl, who wanted a large public platform for the region's folk-culture associations dedicated to traditional costume, folk dance and folk music, which until then mostly performed for small, dedicated audiences.