Brinzio Mushroom Festival

The mushroom village in the Varese Prealps

The Brinzio Mushroom Festival is the most important and defining festival of Brinzio, a small municipality in the Province of Varese nestled in the greenery of the Campo dei Fiori Regional Park, in Lombardy. Founded in 1980, it has grown over time to attract thousands of visitors — up to 15,000 in some editions — becoming a key autumn event for the entire Varese area.

The Porcini Mushroom Takes Center Stage

The festival is traditionally held during the peak season for harvesting porcini mushrooms. At the municipal park, under large covered structures with over a thousand seats, mushroom-based gastronomic specialties are served, from first courses to stews, accompanied by the flavors of pre-alpine cuisine. This is the convivial heart of the event, where people gather at tables to savor the fruits of the forest.

Mycological Exhibition and Tradition

In addition to gastronomy, the festival offers a mycological exhibition in the historic center, held at the Museum of Pre-Alpine Rural Culture, where different mushroom species are displayed and cataloged, with mycological experts available to the public. There are also sales of fresh and dried mushrooms, evenings of music and dancing, and free guided tours of the village.

A Festival That Tells the Story of the Territory

The Mushroom Festival, organized by Pro Loco Brinzio APS, is much more than a gastronomic event: it is the moment when the small pre-alpine village showcases its identity, made of forests, rural tradition, and hospitality. It's an opportunity to discover Brinzio and its extraordinary natural setting, amidst the trails of Campo dei Fiori and the peasant culture of the Varese Prealps.