When people think about Italy, they often imagine historic cities, great food and spectacular landscapes. But to truly understand Italian culture — especially in smaller provincial towns — you need to experience the sagre.
Sagre are traditional community festivals that celebrate local products, agricultural traditions or historical events. They are not simply food events: they are moments when communities gather, cook together, organize performances and keep traditions alive that often date back centuries.
In the territory of Vicenza, in the Veneto region, these festivals represent a fundamental part of local life. Attending a sagra means discovering the true spirit of the area: meeting neighbors, experiencing traditional cuisine and understanding how local communities really work.
If you are thinking about moving to Italy, especially to the Veneto region, getting to know these traditions is a concrete way to integrate and feel part of the city.
Here are some of the most important and historic festivals in Vicenza and its province.
Sagra dei Bisi – Lumignano di Longare
At the foot of the Berici Hills, the village of Lumignano hosts every spring one of the most beloved festivals in the area: the Sagra dei Bisi, dedicated to the traditional local peas. The festival usually takes place between April and May, during harvest season, when the Berici countryside offers the best of its production.
Pea cultivation in this area has a long agricultural tradition. Thanks to the mild climate and hilly terrain, Lumignano has historically been known for the quality of its bisi, which have been used in local cuisine for generations. The festival was created precisely to celebrate this product and support small local farmers.
During the event the village fills with food stands, local markets and musical performances, while local associations and volunteers collaborate to organize activities. The atmosphere is typical of Veneto festivals: long outdoor tables, music, families and visitors arriving even from outside the province.
The symbolic dish is naturally risi e bisi, a traditional Venetian recipe halfway between a risotto and a soup, prepared with rice, fresh peas and broth. Alongside this you can find other specialties such as pasta with peas, pea omelettes, spring vegetable dishes and traditional Vicenza cuisine.
Another interesting aspect of the festival is its landscape setting: Lumignano is surrounded by the rock cliffs of the Berici Hills, which are popular with climbers and hikers. For this reason many visitors combine the festival with outdoor activities and exploration of the area.
Festa della Ciliegia (Cherry Festival) – Marostica
Marostica is particularly famous for a local product: the Marostica Cherry PGI, one of the agricultural excellences of the Veneto region.
Every spring, between May and June, the city organizes the Cherry Festival, which coincides with the harvest season.
During the event the historic center fills with:
- local producer markets
- tastings
- cultural events
- shows and historical parades
The festival is a perfect example of how Italian sagre celebrate not only food, but also agricultural work and the identity of the territory.
Festa della Patata di Rotzo – Altopiano dei Sette Comuni
On the Asiago Plateau, the small village of Rotzo celebrates every year one of the most representative products of its mountain agriculture with the Festa della Patata di Rotzo. The event traditionally takes place between the end of August and the beginning of September and is dedicated to promoting the Rotzo potato, a variety cultivated on the plateau for more than a century and now recognized as a typical local product.
Potato cultivation in this area developed especially between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, when the climatic conditions and fertile soil of the plateau proved ideal for this crop. Over time the potato became an important economic resource for local communities and a symbol of mountain agriculture. The festival was created precisely to promote this production and support small local farmers.
During the festival the village center comes alive with food stands, markets of local products, music and cultural activities dedicated to the traditions of the plateau. There are also events connected to rural life, such as demonstrations of agricultural work, exhibitions of historical tools and moments dedicated to the history of the territory.
Naturally the absolute protagonist is the potato, prepared in many traditional recipes. In addition to classic fried and roasted potatoes, visitors can taste potato gnocchi, rustic pies, potatoes served with plateau cheeses, soups and other dishes that reflect the simple yet hearty cuisine of the Vicenza mountains. If you have never visited the plateau, this festival is a perfect opportunity to discover an authentic natural landscape of alpine pastures, mountain huts and forests.
Festa del Bacalà alla Vicentina – Sandrigo
Among the most famous gastronomic festivals in Veneto is the Festa del Bacalà alla Vicentina, held every year in September in the town of Sandrigo, about 15 km north of Vicenza.
The festival celebrates one of the most iconic dishes of the local cuisine: bacalà alla vicentina, prepared with dried stockfish, milk, onions, anchovies and olive oil, slowly cooked for hours and served with polenta.
The event was created in the 1980s thanks to the Confraternita del Bacalà alla Vicentina, an association dedicated to preserving the traditional recipe and promoting it around the world. Over the years the festival has grown to become an international event.
One of the most interesting aspects is the historical connection with Norway. Sandrigo is twinned with the island of Røst, from which the stockfish used in the recipe traditionally arrived. Every year Norwegian delegations participate in the festival with official ceremonies and cultural exchanges.
But the festival does not offer only the classic dish. Visitors can taste a wide variety of cod-based recipes. Although the traditional bacalà with polenta remains the star, the cuisine also offers many reinterpretations using stockfish, such as bigoli pasta with cod ragù, cod gnocchi, fried cod meatballs, crostini and other specialties that demonstrate how versatile this ingredient is in Venetian culinary tradition. It is also an interesting way to discover how a single product — introduced to Veneto centuries ago through maritime trade — became an integral part of local gastronomic culture.
During the festival the town transforms into a huge open-air restaurant: thousands of people arrive to taste the symbolic dish of Vicenza cuisine, accompanied by local wines and other traditional foods.
Are you thinking about moving to Italy? Discover the city of Vicenza.
Living Chess Game – Marostica
One of the most spectacular events in Veneto is certainly the Living Chess Game, which takes place in the main square of Marostica every two years in September (and the next edition takes place this year).
The event reenacts a legend set in 1454. Two noble knights fell in love with the same woman, the daughter of the lord of the castle. To avoid a deadly duel, the father decided they should challenge each other to a chess match.
Today the story is recreated through a spectacular historical reenactment: the square of Marostica becomes a giant chessboard and more than 600 performers in medieval costume bring the game to life.
Horses, flag throwers, drummers and fireworks turn the event into a unique spectacle in Europe. For those living in the Vicenza area it is one of the most anticipated events of the year, and if you are thinking of moving to Vicenza you definitely should not miss this extraordinary historical celebration.
Festa del Riso (Rice Festival) – Grumolo delle Abbadesse
The Rice Festival of Grumolo delle Abbadesse celebrates an agricultural tradition that dates back to the Middle Ages.
The town is one of the historical centers of rice cultivation in the Vicenza plain, thanks to an ancient irrigation system developed by the Benedictine nuns who once administered the territory.
The festival takes place every year in September and its signature dish is risotto dea badessa, a traditional recipe prepared with local rice.
During the event the town center fills with food stands, markets and cultural initiatives dedicated to agricultural traditions.
For anyone who wants to understand the deep connection between territory, agriculture and cuisine in Veneto, this is one of the most representative festivals.
Why knowing local festivals matters if you want to live in Vicenza
For many foreigners who move to Italy, local festivals are one of the most surprising discoveries.
They are not events created for tourists, but authentic celebrations of the local community. People gather, cook together and celebrate traditions that often date back hundreds of years.
Taking part in these festivals means:
- discovering local products
- meeting neighbors
- understanding Italian culture better
- feeling part of the community
If you are thinking about moving to Vicenza or to the Veneto region, marking these festivals on your calendar may be one of the best ways to start feeling truly at home.
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