Apice Vegetable Garden Festival

A festival born from the gardens of Apice

The Apice Vegetable Garden Festival is a food and wine celebration that returns every year in early September to Piazza della Ricostruzione in Apice Nuova, within the municipality of Apice in the province of Benevento (Campania), showcasing the horticultural heritage of this corner of Sannio. The event is promoted by the Pro Loco Apice with the direct involvement of local farms, united under the group of Apicesi Agricultural Companies: it is they, rather than external restaurateurs, who manage the stalls and cook the dishes served to the public.

The underlying concept is simple and quite rare in the festival landscape: to highlight Apice vegetables, recognized as an excellence of the Sannio territory, while reviving local rustic recipes. Many of the participating farms operate under certified organic standards, and the choice of ingredients follows seasonal cycles: what you find on your plate is truly what the garden is producing at that time of year.

What to eat

The menu is centered around vegetables, offering an unusually wide vegetarian selection for a village festival, complemented by grilled meat dishes. In past editions, visitors have enjoyed:

• vegetarian dishes made exclusively with vegetables grown by the participating farms;
• grilled meats prepared by the producers' families;
• rustic flavors of the Sannio tradition, prepared according to home-style recipes;
• farm-to-table products, which can also be purchased directly from the growers.

The direct relationship with the farmers is one of the hallmarks of the festival: the public can ask how their food was produced and, if they wish, take some home from the farmers' market set up next to the stands.

Beyond the table

The Apice Vegetable Garden Festival is not just about gastronomy. The program of recent editions has included:

• farmers' market with local agricultural producers;
• craft and hobby market, featuring vintage items and handmade creations;
• children's workshops, designed to introduce the little ones to the garden and its products;
• fitness area with outdoor activities in the square;
• a conference dedicated to small local producers—titled in 2024 «The New Frontiers of Small Local Productions»—involving farmers, technicians, and administrators;
• music and shows every evening, ranging from live performances to the popular amateur talent competition that enlivened the 2024 edition.

Evenings generally begin around 7:00–8:00 PM and continue late into the night, with the square remaining the heart of the action: stands, stage, counters, and shared tables.

A history spanning over ten editions

The festival has a well-established history: the third edition took place from September 5 to 7, 2014, accompanied by the «L'Infior…Orto» initiative, a competition where participants created real themed pictures using garden produce—a rustic variation on traditional flower festivals. In 2023, the tenth edition was celebrated (September 2–3), followed by the eleventh in 2024 (September 6–7) and the twelfth in 2025, spread over three days from September 5 to 7. It is therefore one of the most consistent events in the Apice calendar, alongside the Apice Carnival and the olive-related festivals.

Apice, the double town

Apice is a unique case in all of Campania: after the 1962 earthquake, the historic center was abandoned and the population moved to the new town. Today, the municipality coexists with Apice Vecchia, the famous «ghost village» dominated by the Castello dell'Ettore, and Apice Nuova, where life goes on and celebrations take place. Piazza della Ricostruzione, which hosts the festival, bears this history in its very name. Those arriving for the festival thus have the opportunity to combine an evening of rustic cuisine with a visit to one of the most photographed sites in Sannio.

Why it's worth the trip

In a region where festivals often revolve around a single dish, the Apice Vegetable Garden Festival offers something different: a celebration built on the agriculture of an entire town, with vegetables at the center and producers personally at the stoves. It is a tangible opportunity to understand how people eat and farm in the Calore Valley, with affordable prices and the informal atmosphere of a festive town square.