Arcevia Grape Festival

Arcevia's Harvest Festival

The Arcevia Grape Festival is the event that, every year at the end of September, celebrates the ancient rite of the grape harvest in the heart of one of the most picturesque villages in the Marche region. Arcevia, a municipality in the province of Ancona perched on the hills dividing the Misa Valley from the Cesano Valley, opens its historic center for four days and transforms it into a large village of conviviality, where wine, traditional food, music, and folklore intertwine in the squares and alleys.

A Tradition Almost a Century Old

The origins of the festival are rooted in the peasant traditions of the 1920s, when allegorical floats, built by the different districts and hamlets, paraded through the village streets to celebrate the harvest. Since then, the event has never stopped, renewing itself from edition to edition without losing its connection to its roots. In 2026, the Grape Festival reaches its 70th edition, a milestone that makes it one of the longest-running historical festivals in the region.

The value of the event has also been recognized at a national level: in 2026, the Grape Festival was awarded at the Senate of the Republic with the 'quality event' mark, a recognition of the ability of the Municipality of Arcevia and the Pro Loco to keep alive a tradition that, as the organizers emphasized, 'is not just an event, but a collective heritage' that tells the story of the territory's identity.

Inns, Flavors, and Competitions

The beating heart of the festival are the Locande del Buon Ristoro (Inns of Good Refreshment), taverns set up in the historic center where volunteers serve dishes of Arcevia and Marche cuisine accompanied by local wines. Among the featured specialties are Arcevia's Ottofile Corn, a local identity product, handmade tagliatelle and pappardelle, calcioni (sweet or savory pastries), and traditional desserts, all paired with wines from the Val Mivola.

The festival also features competitions that reflect its popular spirit:

• Vergara in Gara (Cooks Competition) — the challenge among the 'vergare', the cooks who are custodians of peasant culinary knowledge, competing for the title of best vergara with their homemade pasta;
• Best Traditional Dish — the competition among the inns for the most successful typical dish, judged by expert juries and representatives of the region's gastronomic culture.

Allegorical Floats, Music, and Shows

The most spectacular element remains the parade of allegorical floats, which crosses the historic center on the last day of the festival, involving associations, districts, and the school community. Alongside the parade, the program offers concerts and DJ sets, street music, entertainment and games for children, fireworks displays, and a food and wine market. Four days in which the entire village of Arcevia becomes the stage for a festival that is both a peasant memory and an occasion for thousands of visitors to meet.