Fall festivals in Naples and Campania have become year after year one of the most anticipated and desired events, embracing more and more people of distinct age groups. We are talking about a unique type of experience that combines tradition, culture and the flavors of a specific area, all while having fun with music and perhaps some good wine as a side dish.
In Campania we celebrate the typical products of the autumn season, such as chestnuts, mushrooms and hazelnuts. Not only food and gastronomy, diving into one of the many festivals organized here means diving inside a culture and its roots, or simply spending a different day. Let's discover together the 5 fall festivals that are absolutely not to be missed in Campania.
Fall festivals in Campania: a journey through food and joie de vivre
Fall festivals in Campania offer a chance to fully discover the region's cultural roots, all the folklore and folk identity. Combining this with great food makes this authentic cross-cultural journey a magnificent experience, to be tried and tried again. In short, a more than apt choice to be happy. The choice is really wide, when in doubt better to experience them all so you don't miss anything!
The choice among the various festivals present is vast, a first idea is definitely the Pumpkin Festival in Pignataro Maggiore, in the province of Caserta. Known as “The Pumpkin Garden,” this is an ideal place for families. Then we find the chestnut and porcini mushroom, celebrated in the Sagra di Roccamonfina, at the foot of the extinct volcano of the same name in the province of Caserta.
Porcini mushroom that is also, perhaps especially, celebrated in Cusano Mutri, in the province of Benevento. Here for more than two weeks a year this medieval village is transformed and becomes an open-air festival site. Food, wine and mushrooms in every sauce. The choice is really wide, when in doubt better to experience them all so you don't miss anything!
5. Dugenta Boar Festival
Our first stop through Campania's fall festivals takes us to Dugenta, a small town in the province of Benevento. Here it is possible to find the famous Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival) in two parts of the year: a first part is celebrated in early summer, between late May and mid-July; the second part, the one we are interested in, takes place from late August until the end of October. Let's get a better understanding of what takes place in this corner of Campania in the fall.
The star of the festival is clearly wild boar meat, so everything revolves around its different ways of being cooked. Visitors can therefore enjoy a varied range of delicacies: pasta with wild boar ragout, stews, roasts and cold cuts prepared with this succulent meat. All, with excellent wine as a side dish.
In addition to gastronomic delights, the festival also features cultural events and musical performances that foment an atmosphere of joy and celebration. The Dugenta Wild Boar Festival is an unmissable event for those who love rustic and genuine cuisine and want to discover a culinary tradition typical of the Benevento lands.
4. The Apple "Annurca" Festival in Valle di Maddaloni
We continue our journey, the next festival to discover is the Sagra della Mela Annurca. This time we are in the province of Caserta, precisely in the town of Valle di Maddaloni, where every year in the weekend of the middle of October the queen of the festival is precisely the annurca apple. We are talking about one of the most prized apples in Italy, often called “the queen of apples” because of its uniqueness and peculiarities, different from other apples.
The festival is an important opportunity to thoroughly discover the annurca apple, this sweet and only slightly acidic variety, having truly incredible nutritional properties. Juices, ciders, sweets, jams and liqueurs are prepared here, all strictly from the “queen of apples.” But that's not all, because the Annurca Apple Festival is not just about tasting and drinking.
In fact, this festival offers a rich program of events, among which we find guided tours of the apple orchards, where you can find out what lies behind the processing of apples. In addition, there are musical performances, folkloric performances and exhibitions of local crafts, as well as workshops for young and old. In short, the Annurca Apple Festival is a discovery to be experienced!
3. The Festival of Giffoni Sei Casali Hazelnut
We move to Salerno, specifically to Giffoni Sei Casali, where every year in the last weekend of September the Festival of the Giffoni Sei Casali Hazelnut is celebrated. It celebrates the Tonda di Giffoni Hazelnut, a unique, highly prized variety, recognized with the Protected Designation of Origin, so it is a real boast for the area. Hazelnut lovers are always enraptured by this event, now we explain why.
In this particular autumn festival you can taste an incredible amount of products made with hazelnuts, the round Giffoni hazelnut: starting with spreads and moving on to sweets, then finishing with cookies, nougats and even getting to pasta and risotto! This type of hazelnut is highly valued for the mix of sweetness and crunchiness that lingers on the palate and makes it versatile, perfect both as a dessert and as a cream.
During the festival, the village of Giffoni Sei Casali comes alive with cultural events, musical performances and educational workshops. Here visitors can discover the secrets of growing and processing hazelnuts. In short, coming to the Giffoni Sei Casali Hazelnut Festival means immersing yourself in the roots of Campania's agricultural and gastronomic traditions.
2. The festival of chestnut and porcini mushroom of Roccamonfina
One of the two most important fall festivals in the entire Campania region, certainly among the most famous and renowned, is the Chestnut and Porcini Mushroom Festival of Roccamonfina. This small town in the Caserta area is colored with celebration and joy every year between the beginning of October and November for five weekends in a row. The dedicated space is of the largest possible, with a dedicated maxi area to avoid dangerous overcrowding. Let's go in order and understand what makes this festival unmissable.
At the center of this event are chestnuts and porcini mushrooms, so it is a must to be enchanted by the tastings of typical dishes ì based on the aforementioned excellences. Shining above all are risottos, soups and especially chestnut desserts. However, let us not forget the roasted chestnuts and marron glacé, perhaps the main stars of the festival. In short, here in Roccamonfina you will surely leave with a happy stomach!
In addition to the gastronomic sphere that certainly steals the eye, the Roccamonfina Festival is also a lot of entertainment. In fact, there are both art exhibitions and shows at all hours, as well as entertainment areas for children. After sunset then, the DJ Set is inaugurated to keep the entire sagra dancing and entertained. During the festival then, it is also possible to participate in guided excursions to discover the wonders of Roccamonfina. In short, this festival deserves all the fame that surrounds it!
1. The Mushrooms Festival in Cusano Mutri
We close with the festival of festivals, the most anticipated festival of autumn in Campania: the Sagra dei Funghi di Cusano Mutri (Cusano Mutri Mushroom Festival). We move to the province of Benevento, to what has become the Campania municipality that gathers an incredible number of Neapolitans and others between the end of September and the half of October. In fact, every year thousands and thousands of tourists even from outside the Campania region flock to this incredible festival.
Here you can eat well and a lot at any hour and in any way, given the infinity of culinary stands present. At the center of everything is the mushroom in all its varieties, so we recommend that you try on everything the risottos and tagliatelle, which are absolutely unmissable. Alternatively, there are many delicious combinations of types of meat with truffled mushrooms, such as tasty meatballs that several stands offer. Then, for a quick but tasty bite, there are kebabs, surrounded by mushrooms, of course.
At the Cusano Mutri Festival there is plenty to eat but not only that, because there is also wine galore. Practically everywhere there you can find excellent artisanal wine at very reasonable prices. Another thing that is absolutely worth mentioning is the music present at practically every part of the huge area set aside. It is impossible not to indulge in the festive atmosphere of the festival, so the obligation is to let yourself go and enjoy the show!
Lascia un commento