Chestnut Festival

A festival in the heart of the chestnut grove

Castagna in Festa is the autumn event that celebrates the chestnut in the Poranceto woods, one of the most evocative locations in the Municipality of Camugnano, on the Bolognese Apennines in Emilia-Romagna. The event takes place around the Wood Museum, the visitor center of the Regional Park of the Suviana and Brasimone Lakes, managed by the Management Body for Parks and Biodiversity of Eastern Emilia. It is an entirely free day, dedicated to families and those who love the mountains and their flavors.

The fruit of the woods takes center stage

The heart of the festival is naturally the chestnut, presented in all its forms in the meadows of Poranceto. Among the stalls, you can taste the unmissable roasted chestnuts, castagnaccio (chestnut cake), products made with chestnut flour, and crescente montanare (mountain focaccia), accompanied by local honey, beer, and mulled wine. A market set up among the meadows offers chestnut products, typical local specialties, and ancient crafts of the Apennine tradition.

Walks, workshops, and stories

In addition to the food and wine aspect, the day is marked by activities that reveal the woods and its inhabitants. There are guided walks in the centuries-old chestnut grove, creative workshops with natural materials designed for children, storytelling sessions with stories and tales under the chestnut trees, and guided tours of the Wood Museum, which showcases the forest ecosystem and traditional chestnut cultivation. The guides from the Parks Authority accompany young and old on a discovery of gnomes, hedgehogs, and chestnuts.

Nature, tradition, and accessibility

The event enhances an environmental and cultural heritage that makes chestnut cultivation one of the strongest identities of the Bolognese Apennines. To facilitate access to Poranceto, reachable along the provincial road, the organization provides a free shuttle service from the parking lots. Castagna in Festa is now one of the most beloved initiatives in the autumn calendar of the Park and the Municipality of Camugnano, capable of combining a passion for nature with the pleasure of seasonal flavors.