Beans and Pork Rind Festival (Offeio Eco-Festival)

A village festival in the heart of the Salto Valley

The Beans and Pork Rind Festival, known for years as the Offeio Eco-Festival, is one of the most anticipated summer events in the Rieti mountains. It takes place in the village of Offeio, a small hamlet in the municipality of Petrella Salto, in the province of Rieti, in north-eastern Lazio, just a stone's throw from Lake Salto and the Cicolano foothills. The date never changes: August 17th, in the height of the Ferragosto holiday, when the village comes alive with returning emigrants, vacationers, and passing visitors.

The dish: beans and pork rinds

The absolute stars are the beans and pork rinds, a hearty, rustic dish from the central Apennine peasant tradition: legumes slow-cooked with pork rinds, tomato, garlic, and bay leaves. Once the meal for special occasions in the homes of shepherds and woodcutters, today it is the gastronomic symbol of the village. Alongside the main dish, the kitchen offers other local specialties, including vertuti, a soup made of cereals, legumes, wild herbs, and seasonal vegetables, which is also prepared in Offeio for the May Day celebration.

Why it is called an Eco-Festival

Since 2010, the event has made a clear choice: to eliminate single-use plastic and minimize waste. Since then, meals are served in reusable earthenware, with compostable cutlery made from corn pulp and Mater-Bi, tap water is provided, and zero-mile products are prioritized, particularly those from the Coralli Organic Farm. This approach, pioneering for the area, earned the committee second place in the Ecofeste competition promoted by the Province of Rieti in 2014 and has made Offeio a model cited by other festivals in the region.

What to do besides eating

The festival is not just about gastronomy. Throughout the day, the village's alleys and cellars host themed exhibitions—photography, painting, ancient crafts, period costumes—that tell the story of mountain village life before depopulation. In the evening, the festival area comes alive with live music and dancing, which in recent editions has featured orchestras and groups from the popular traditions of Lazio and Abruzzo.

• Distribution of beans and pork rinds and other dishes from the late afternoon
• Children's menu and covered area for table service
• Exhibitions and displays in the medieval village
• Live music and evening dancing
• Local and organic zero-mile products

Offeio, a village to discover

Offeio preserves its medieval layout, with stone houses huddled together, arches, stairways, and views over the valley. The local committee's calendar includes other events throughout the year—the Pantasima, the Pasquarella, the May Day Vertuti Festival, and the Sant'Agnese celebrations—but the August festival is the moment when the community gathers in full. Those who arrive early can take advantage of the day for a walk in the surroundings: the territory of Petrella Salto, dominated by the remains of the castle and overlooking the artificial Lake Salto, is one of the least known and most intact landscapes in Lazio.

A popular and free event

Admission to the event is free: you only pay for what you consume, with typical village festival prices. The organization is entrusted to the Offeio festival committee with the patronage of the Municipality of Petrella Salto, which lists the event among the official municipal manifestations.