If you’re visiting Italy in September, you won’t want to miss the many local food festivals held across the country. Here are some of the best ‘sagre’ you can stop by next month.
One of the best things about visiting Italy in the autumn months is having the opportunity to attend a sagra, a type of harvest festival or fair centred around one particular food or drink item local to the town hosting it.
A sagra has a fairly broad definition: it could last for several weeks or one day, and might consist of anything from raucous celebrations with music and dancing to more relaxed tasting experiences among food stalls and wooden benches.
It will usually be held in a field or a piazza, and entry is free.
What all sagre have in common is the focus on eating and drinking fresh local produce, and the assurance that you won’t leave unsated.
Although October is the month with the most sagre in many parts of Italy, by September, there are already a good number of festivals taking place across the country that are worth seeking out if you’re in the area.
Here are just a few of the sagre you can stop by this September.
Abruzzo
Regina di Miele (honey fair), September 27th-28th in Tornareccio, Chieti.
Basilicata
Sagra del Pecorino (Pecorino cheese festival), September 5th-7th in Filiano, Potenza.
Sagra della Patata (potato festival), September 19th-21st in Muro Lucano, Potenza.
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Calabria
Peperoncino Festival (chili pepper festival), September 10th-14th in Diamante, Cosenza.
Sagra della Patata della Sila (Sila potato festival), September 5th-7th in Celico, Cosenza.
Campania
Sagra della Rana (frog festival), September 4th-7th in Marcianise, Caserta.
Vinestate (wine fair), September 4th-7th, Torrecuso, Benevento.
Festa del Fagiolo (bean festival), September 12th-14th in Volturara Irpina, Avellino.
Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival), all weekends until November 2nd in Dugenta, Benevento.
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Sagra del Pinzino e dell’Arrosticino (fried bread and meat skewers festival), August 27th-September 7th in Ferrara.
Sagra del Tartufo (truffle festival), September 3rd-15th in Sant’Agostino, Ferrara.
A customer smells a white truffle at a fair in Italy. Photo by MARCO BERTORELLO / AFP
Sagra dell’Uva (grape festival), September 6th-8th in Riolo Terme, Ravenna.
Sagra della Salamina (pork salami festival), September 19th-21st, 26th-28th in Vigarano Mainarda, Ferrara.
Sagra dell’Uva e del Lambrusco (Lambrusco wine festival), September 20th-21st and 26th-28th in Castelvetro, Modena.
Friuli Venezia Giulia
Festa dei Funghi (mushroom festival), September 13th-14th in Forni di Sopra, Udine.
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Lazio
Sagra dell’Abbacchio (roast lamb festival), September 5th-7th in Roiate, Rome.
Festa del Fungo Porcino (porcini mushroom festival), September 10th-21st in Lariano, Rome.
Roma Baccalà (dried cod festival), September 18th-21st in Rome.
Sagra degli Gnocchi (gnocchi festival), September 19th-21st in Castelnuovo di Porto, Rome.
Sagra dell’Uva (grape festival), September 27th-October 6th in Marino, Rome.
Liguria
Sagra dell’Uva e del Vino (grape and wine festival), September 12th-14th in Vezzano Ligure, La Spezia.
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Lombardy
Fungolandia (mushroom festival), August 30th-September 7th in Olmo al Brembo, Bergamo.
Sagra del Moscato (Moscato wine festival), September 4th-7th in Scanzorosciate, Bergamo.
READ ALSO: ‘Agriturismo’: Why you should stay on an Italian farm
Sagra della Rana (frog festival), September 5th-7th in Sartirana Lomellina, Pavia.
Sagra dei Crotti (wine festival), September 6th-7th and 13th-14th in Chiavenna, Sondrio.
Marche
Festa del Ciauscolo (Ciauscolo salami festival), September 6th-7th in Sarnano, Macerata.
Pane Nostrum (artisan bread festival), September 26th-28th in Senigallia, Ancona.
Molise
Festa dell’Uva (grape festival), September 12th-15th in Riccia, Campobasso.
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Piedmont
Fiera del Peperone (bell pepper fair), August 29th-September 7th in Carmagnola, Turin.
Sagra del Pomodoro (tomato festival), September 6th in Cambiano, Turin.
Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival), September 19th-21st in Cameri, Novara.
A vendor grills meat at a food fair in Italy. Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP
Festa del Vino (wine festival), September 19th-21st, 26th-28th in Casale Monferrato, Alessandria.
Gusto di Meliga (sorghum festival), September 21st in Chiusa di San Michele, Turin.
Puglia
Sagra della Patata Zuccherina (sweet potato festival), September 5th-7th in Frigole, Lecce.
Sagra del Maiale (pork festival), September 5th-6th, Guagnano, Lecce.
Sagra della Zampina, del Bocconcino e del Buon Vino (‘zampina’ sausage and wine festival), September 26th-28th, Sammichele di Bari, Bari.
Trentino Alto Adige
Festa del Canederlo (‘canederli’ dumplings festival), September 6th-7th in Imer, Trento.
Festival del Puzzone (Puzzone cheese festival), September 19th-21st in Moena, Trento.
Tuscany
Sagra della Bistecca e del Filetto (steak festival), September 4th-7th, 11th-14th in Ponte a Egola, Pisa.
Sagra del Cinghiale (wild boar festival), September 5th-7th, 10th-14th in Capalbio, Grosseto.
READ ALSO: Offal and midnight pastries: Six surprising Italian food customs
Sagra del Galletto (cockerel festival), September 12th-14th, 19th-21st in Fucecchio, Florence.
Expo del Chianti Classico (Chianti wine fair), September 11th-14th in Greve in Chianti, Florence.
Sardinia
Sagra del Pesce (seafood festival), September 6th-8th in Giorgino, Cagliari.
Sicily
Sagra dell’Arancino (‘arancini’ festival) September 11th-14th in Ficarazzi, Catania.
Festival dell’Uva (grape festival), September 12th-14th in Mazzarrone, Catania.
Cous Cous Fest (cous cous festival), September 19th-28th, San Vito Lo Capo, Trapani.
Festa del Fungo Porcino (porcini mushroom festival), September 20th-21st, 27th-28th in Fornazzo, Catania.
Umbria
Primi d’Italia (first courses festival), September 25th-28th in Foligno.
Veneto
Festa del Fico (fig festival), August 30th, August 30th-September 2nd in Ficarolo, Rovigo.
Festa dea Sardea (seafood festival), September 5th-7th, 12th-14th in Salzano, Venice.
Festa della Polenta (polenta festival), September 12th-28th in Castelminio di Resana, Treviso.
Sagra dei Rofioi (‘rofioi’ sweet ravioli festival), September 12th-14th in Sanguinetto, Verona.
Festa del Baccalà (dried cod festival), September 18th-28th in Sandrigo, Vicenza.
Valle d’Aosta
Sagra dell’Uva (grape festival), September 24th-28th in Chambave, Aosta.
This list is not exhaustive. Do you have a favourite September sagra? Leave a comment below to let us know.
Dining and Cooking