August Festivals

A summer tradition that belongs to the whole town

The August Festivals are the highlight that marks the second half of summer in Forano, a town in the Province of Rieti, in the Lazio region, overlooking the rolling hills of Sabina. It is not just a single event, but an entire program of festivities that spans from August 15th to 24th, involving the squares, the streets of the historic center, and the town's outdoor spaces. The organization is managed by the August Festivals Committee, an association of local volunteers who build the calendar every year by combining food festivals, tournaments, concerts, and religious moments.

From Ferragosto to the feast of Saint Bartholomew

The chosen period is no coincidence: it starts around Ferragosto (August 15th), when the town fills with families returning for the holidays, and continues until August 24th, the day Forano celebrates its patron saint, Saint Bartholomew the Apostle. The patronal feast retains the classic structure of Sabina celebrations, with rites in the church, the procession through the village streets, and, in the evening, the musical event in the square that brings the entire community together. It is the moment when the devotional and convivial dimensions overlap most naturally.

The Pasta Festival and the Forano table

Among the longest-running events on the calendar is the Pasta Festival, which has surpassed its fiftieth edition and has become a trademark of the August Festivals over the years. People eat outdoors at tables set up by volunteers, in a simple and popular format that has remained faithful to itself over time. Alongside the food festival, there are other gastronomic moments, because in Sabina, the celebration always passes through the table: pasta seasoned according to home recipes, local products, extra virgin olive oil—Sabina is a land of DOP oil—and wines from the Rieti territory.

Under a Sky of Wine

More recent but already very popular is the Under a Sky of Wine event, now in its early editions and dedicated to the meeting of wine, food, and live music. The format includes evening tastings in the historic center, with stalls set up along the streets and in the squares, and one or more concerts to provide the soundtrack for the food and wine stroll. It is the event that has given the August Festivals a broader appeal, capable of attracting visitors from neighboring towns and the nearby Roman area.

Forano Vecchio vs. Forano Nuovo

The most identity-defining moment, however, is the Forano Vecchio vs. Forano Nuovo palio, a lighthearted challenge that divides the town into its two urban souls: the historic core perched on the hill and the more recent part of the settlement. The teams face each other in games and team trials designed to entertain both the participants and the public, in an atmosphere that recalls old neighborhood festivals. It is a tradition that serves above all to keep the bond between different generations alive and to involve the younger ones in the organization of the festival.

Music, cabaret, and evenings in the square

The evenings of the August Festivals almost always end with live music. Over the years, the program has hosted tribute bands, dance orchestras, local groups, and cabaret shows with comedians well-known to the general public, as well as DJ sets that extend the party until late at night. The town squares, particularly Piazza Vittorio Emanuele and Piazza Garibaldi, become open-air stages for the occasion, and admission to the shows is, in the tradition of the event, free.

Why come to Forano in August

Those who arrive in Forano during the August Festivals find an authentic village festival, not built for tourism but open to anyone who wants to participate. It is also an opportunity to discover a little-traveled corner of Lazio: the Rieti Sabina, with its ancient olive groves, abbeys, hilltop villages, and its proximity to both Rome and the Tiber Valley. Ten days in which a small town of a few thousand inhabitants doubles its social life and shows the most genuine face of the Italian summer.