The weekend ahead is packed with unmissable events around good food and our traditions. From North to South of Italy, from seaside towns to mountain villages, there are countless gastronomic and folkloric events, with street food stalls, long communal tables in the historic centers of towns, historical reenactments, and plenty of fun for the whole family.
We have selected the most interesting and tasty events to participate in, from truffles to mountain cheeses, from Cervia salt to extra-virgin olive oil. Here is where to go.
Taste of Salt in Cervia (RA)
For thirty years, Cervia has celebrated the Dolce Sale di Cervia with the event Taste of Salt, which this year runs from September 3 to 6, the festival that will once again tell the city through its oldest and most precious element. Free tastings of Romagna piadina with sardoncini and scottadito are planned, the historical reenactment of the Rimessa del Sale with the arrival of the Burchiella, the Borgo Marina market organized by the Cervia Centro Consortium, while in Piazza Maffei numerous restaurants will offer menus and specialties dedicated to Cervia salt and local cuisine. There will also be plenty of music.
Truffle Festival in Sant’Agostino (FE)
From September 2 to 14, the Truffle Festival in the Ferrara province begins, where the unmistakable aroma fills every corner of the festival and sneaks into everything: onto tagliolini, into tortellini, on risotto, in passatelli, in lasagna, on eggs, and even in pairings that will delight the most enthusiastic sweet-tooths. In these parts, the truffle is not merely a culinary excellence but a tradition passed down through generations, attracting visitors, enthusiasts, and curious gourmets each year ready to sit down to a feast. The heart of the event will be the large restaurant set up at the Renato Caselli municipal sports field, open every evening from 7:30 p.m. and on Sunday also for lunch. Here volunteers and cooks transform the truffle into dozens of dishes that tell the territory better than any travel guide.
International Chimney Sweep Gathering in Santa Maria Maggiore (VB)
From September 4 to 7, 2026, in Santa Maria Maggiore, in the Vigezzo Valley, known as the “Valley of the Chimney Sweeps,” the International Chimney Sweep Gathering returns for its 43rd edition. More than 1,100 “black-clad men” from all corners of the globe will celebrate their craft here, a trade that has its most authentic roots in this remote corner of Italy. The town will host a series of events that draw thousands of tourists and visitors each edition, eager to engage with the true history of the many chimney sweeps, both adults and children, who left from here to move northward toward Northern Europe.
Graukäse Days in Valle Aurina (BZ)
From the heart of the Alps returns the celebration dedicated to one of the oldest cheeses in the Alpine arc: from September 5 to 20, in Valle Aurina, in the province of Bolzano, the Graukäse Days unfold, the ancient Tyrolean cheese still produced today in farms and alpine huts of the valley according to a tradition handed down from generation to generation, with tastings, themed menus, meetings with producers, and festive moments that will accompany locals and visitors in discovering the valley’s gastronomic traditions in the municipalities of Campo Tures, Valle Aurina and Predoi. The Graukäse Days open on Saturday, September 5, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with the traditional Graukäse Festival at the Lutago festival tent.
Piazzetta Piazzetta in Poggio Moiano (RI)
Saturday, September 5, from 7:30 p.m., the event “From Piazzetta to Piazzetta” returns to Poggio Moiano, an eno-gastronomic walk that transforms the town’s historic center into a large open-air table where every alley leads to a new flavor. The thread uniting the entire itinerary is naturally Poggio Moiano’s extra virgin olive oil, the star of the first stop with a fragrant crostini prepared according to tradition. From there the journey continues through coratella, local cheeses, maccheroni with ragù, a mixed meat grill with salad and, to finish, local traditional desserts and liqueurs. Each dish is served in a different square of the historic center, accompanied by wine and beer, turning the tasting into a stroll among the town’s most characteristic corners. This is the essence of the event: not a classic festival with a single food stand, but a slow, step-by-step itinerary, letting you wander through narrow alleys, staircases, and squares that reveal the Sabina’s full authenticity. Music, folkloric performances, street artists, and moments dedicated to popular culture will accompany the culinary journey, turning the village into a large outdoor stage where every corner offers a different atmosphere.
Fish Festival in Giorgino (CA)
From September 5 to 6, 2026, in the village of Giorgino, in the province of Cagliari, unfolds the festival dedicated to the sea, tradition, and spectacle, with dishes of typical Sardinian seafaring cuisine prepared according to ancient recipes and served in the square of the Giorgino Fishing Village. It will be a two-day affair of gastronomy, music, and workshops that frame the two main protagonists of the event: fish and Vermentino. The 2026 edition’s novelty: a village specialty added to the menu, pasta in a parchment (“pasta al cartoccio”). Traditionally, it was made with the catch’s leftovers such as crabs, mussels, arselle, small octopuses, and squid, which will be used to prepare a special sauce.
National Pepper Festival of Carmagnola (TO)
From August 28 to September 6, Carmagnola hosts the 77th edition of the National Pepper Festival, a historic milestone that testifies to the long tradition and continued success of this unmissable event. The star of the show, the pepper, returns to the stage among agricultural contests (the Pepper Contest which awards the farms that grew the heaviest specimens among the four local ecotypes), the artistic installation Heart of Pepper in Piazza Sant’Agostino, team challenges (the BTM PalaPeperone hosts the most anticipated gastronomic challenge for the best bagna cauda 2026) and the grand Maxi Peperonata on the closing day.
Palio della Brocca in Deruta (PG)
From September 3 to 6, 2026, in Deruta, the 18th edition of the Palio della Brocca takes place, reviving the history and identity of the Umbrian village with the Corsa delle Brocche, period costumes, ladies, knights, and commoners, highlighting the artistic value of ceramics. The municipality is one of Italy’s most renowned centers for maiolica production. Each year, the town’s three districts compete for the palio, i.e., a glazed ceramic jug used in tradition to hold wine or water. In the tavern of Piazza dei Consoli you can taste typical Umbrian dishes that reflect the historical period.
Beer Village in Rapolano Terme (SI)
From September 4 to 6, the Parco dell’Acqua in Rapolano Terme, amid the rolling hills of Siena, hosts the Craft Beer Festival, an international event featuring 27 independent breweries from Italy, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Spain, Sweden, Norway, and the United States, with guided tastings, workshops, live music, food, and discussions on brewing culture. In 2026, the Beer Village marks its 20th edition and, together with it, three decades of Italy’s craft beer history. The hours are as follows: Friday from 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., Saturday from 12 p.m. to 1 a.m., and Sunday from 12 p.m. to 11 p.m.
Honey Festival in Poggio Torriana-Montebello (RI)
On the weekend of September 5–6, in the Rimini province, you can take a step back in time wandering the old, winding streets of the village of Montebello, where every year the Honey Festival takes place, a staple event celebrating Romagna honeys. The usual market offers honeys, cheeses, cured meats, discussions with experts, and free tasting workshops with live honey extraction demonstrations to discover all the secrets of liquid gold. Among the region’s finest varieties is melata, produced from oaks and chestnuts with a bold flavor featuring notes reminiscent of dried fruit.
