Artisan Chocolate Fair (Choco Italia in Tour)

Three days of chocolate in Santa Maria di Castellabate

The Artisan Chocolate Fair, the Cilento stop of the traveling Choco Italia in Tour festival, brings the best of Italian artisanal confectionery to Santa Maria di Castellabate every autumn. The event is organized by the Associazione Italia Eventi with the patronage of the Municipality of Castellabate, in the province of Salerno, and takes place in Piazza Lucia, just a stone's throw from Villa Matarazzo and the seaside promenade.

Piazza Lucia turns into a gourmet village

For the occasion, the square is set up with a row of wooden huts that form a true chocolate village. The stands remain open continuously from 10 AM to midnight, and admission has always been free: you can stroll among the stalls, sample products, learn about the production methods, and buy directly from the makers without any rush or tickets.

Master chocolatiers and Italian sweets

The heart of the fair is the master artisan chocolatiers, who arrive from various Italian regions to show the public the entire cocoa supply chain, from the origins of the raw material to the creation of the most famous bars. Alongside the chocolate, there is space for traditional Italian confectionery specialties and various Campanian delicacies.

• Chocolate bars, pralines, creams, and chocolate sculptures
• Modica chocolate and Sicilian nougat
• Spreads made with Giffoni PGI hazelnuts
• Freshly made brittle from the Monti Picentini
• Irpinian specialties, hemp chocolate, candies, and honey

The chocolate factory and workshops for kids

The chocolate factory is a major highlight—an educational space run by master chocolatiers from Perugia that traces the history of cocoa, its origins, and all the processing stages. Children can become chocolatiers for a day and create their own personalized chocolate bar. Past editions have also hosted intergenerational workshops for grandparents and grandchildren, puppet shows in the square, and guided tours for local school groups.

An event that extends the tourist season

The fair was created with a clear goal by the municipal administration: to de-seasonalize tourism by bringing visitors in October, a month traditionally quieter than the summer peaks. The result is a weekend that combines taste, tradition, and culture, with positive impacts on local commerce and hospitality. The Artisan Chocolate Fair is now a permanent fixture in the Municipality's annual calendar, alongside events like the Sea Festival, Summer at the Castle, Ond'A Marina, and the Christmas markets in the village.

Castellabate, a village in Cilento

Castellabate is one of the most visited villages in Campania: the medieval historic center, perched above the sea, and the hamlet of Santa Maria, with its small port and beaches, are part of the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The general public discovered it thanks to the film Benvenuti al Sud, which was filmed in these very streets. Visiting the fair in October means combining a walk through the village, a lunch based on Cilento products, and a gourmet stop among the huts of Piazza Lucia.

Who is it for?

It is an event truly suitable for everyone: families with children, thanks to the hands-on workshops; food and wine enthusiasts who want to discover small-scale artisan producers; and those looking for an idea for an off-season weekend in Campania, with the Cilento sea still in sight.