Acciaccata and Pork Festival

A festival born from a humble dish

The Acciaccata and Pork Festival is one of the youngest and most identity-defining gastronomic events in Irpinia. It takes place in Bonito, a small town in the province of Avellino, Campania, with its beating heart in Piazza Martiri di Guerra, which transforms into a large open-air dining hall for two evenings in July. The event is promoted by local associations, including the Lo Muraglione Cultural Association, and was created with a clear goal: to celebrate a dish that, for generations, was simply the way local families used whatever the garden provided in summer.

What is acciaccata?

Acciaccata is a pesto made from fresh green peppers, basil, garlic, and chili. The ingredients are literally 'acciaccati' (crushed) until they form a thick, fragrant sauce with a vegetal and slightly spicy flavor. It is not a condiment designed to impress, but to accompany: traditionally, it is paired with lagane—the wide, rough pasta of southern peasant cuisine—or with handmade tagliatelle, still rolled out today with a rolling pin by the village housewives. The preparation is included in the special list of traditional agri-food products, a recognition that certifies its link to the territory and has encouraged its promotion.

The festival menu

Alongside the signature dish, the stands offer other specialties that make up the festival's historic menu:

• Lagane and tagliatelle with acciaccata, the event's highlight;
• Grilled pork, the second absolute star and a true pillar of inland Irpinian cuisine;
• Pizzilli, traditional local fried dough;
• Fried potatoes and seasonal side dishes;
• Wines from the province of Avellino, one of Italy's most important wine-growing territories.

Music, square, and atmosphere

The festival is not just about tasting. Each evening usually begins around 8:00 PM, when the stands start serving, and continues with a deliberately eclectic musical program: folk and traditional music—tarantellas, accordions, and Campanian traditional groups—alternating with rock concerts and DJ sets that keep the square alive until late. It is a formula that works because it blends generations: families and the elderly at the tables, young people in front of the stage.

Bonito and the Irpinian context

Bonito has just over two thousand inhabitants and is located in the Miscano Valley, in that strip of eastern Irpinia bordering the Sannio area of Benevento. It is a land of cultivated hills, wheat, family farms, and a cuisine that has made sobriety a virtue. The province of Avellino, in Campania, experiences a very dense season of festivals in summer: almost every village celebrates its own product, and this network of festivities represents the main tool for tourism promotion in inland areas today. The Acciaccata Festival fits perfectly into this logic, with a dish that is almost impossible to find anywhere else.

Why it's worth visiting

Those looking for a spectacular festival with big names and ticketed entry won't find it here. However, those who want to understand how people really eat in the Campanian hinterland—generous portions, affordable prices, shared tables, the scent of the grill filling the square—will find one of the most sincere appointments of July in Irpinia in Bonito. It is also an excellent base for a wider trip: within a few kilometers, you can reach Grottaminarda, Mirabella Eclano, and the villages of the Baronia.

The 2026 edition

At the time of writing, the official dates for the 2026 edition and the related program have not yet been published. Previous editions have taken place on the last weekend of July, and the event is traditionally announced a few weeks in advance through the channels of the Municipality of Bonito, the organizing associations, and the Sistema Irpinia portal of the Province of Avellino. It is advisable to check the information before setting off.