Cooking Around Fest
The traveling village of Campanian flavors at Parco delle Acque
About Cooking Around
Cooking Around Fest: the village of taste arrives in Pomigliano d'Arco
Born in 2021 in Cicciano, in the heart of the Nola area, Cooking Around Fest has grown to become one of the most popular food and wine event formats in the province of Naples. With its fifth edition, the event adopted a distinctly traveling nature and chose the Parco delle Acque in Pomigliano d'Arco as the inaugural stop of its Campanian tour: eleven days spread over two consecutive weekends, with free admission and a program that weaves together cuisine, live music, sports, and social commitment.
A journey of taste through street food and local products
The heart of the event is the gastronomic route. Street food stands, pizza makers, pastry chefs, bartenders, and small producers showcase the flavors of Campanian tradition: pizza in all its variations, Neapolitan fried foods, cheeses, cured meats, and local pastries. Showcooking sessions by chefs and master pizza makers punctuate the evenings, transforming the village into a large open-air kitchen where the public can watch dishes being prepared and taste the exhibitors' offerings.
- Street food stands and traditional Campanian cuisine
- Typical and artisanal products from local producers
- Showcooking with chefs, pizza makers, and pastry chefs
- Tastings and gluten-free options for celiac visitors
Music, cabaret, and entertainment every night
Every evening at the village features its own stage. The 2026 lineup alternated between tribute bands, artists from the Neapolitan scene, DJ sets, freestyle competitions, and comedy, with Radio Marte serving as the official media partner and broadcasting live from Parco delle Acque. Among the names who performed in Pomigliano d'Arco were Tommaso Primo, the Mural Band, the Queen Forever tribute band, Inna Cantina, and comedians Vincenzo Comunale and Enzo Fischetti, a well-known face from Made in Sud. One evening was reserved for the Cooking Around Summer Festival, a showcase for over twenty emerging local artists.
Sports, children, and families
The format goes beyond food and music: a significant part of the park is dedicated to sports and the little ones. Over the two weeks, tournaments of foosball, beach volleyball, and boxing took place, while the children's area hosted entertainment and creative workshops. The Mani in pasta (Hands in the Dough) project, conceived and curated by journalist and food blogger Gemma Caruso, involved about 160 children working with dough, textures, and ingredient transformations, assisted by pizza makers Jessica De Vivo and Fabio Ciano and chefs Roberto Capolongo and Valerio La Rosa; each participant received a certificate and a backpack with sponsor products.
Inclusion and solidarity
Cooking Around Fest has made inclusion one of its hallmarks. The Pomigliano d'Arco edition saw the participation of the Aliter Social Cooperative, dedicated to supporting vulnerable individuals, and focused on inclusive nutrition with gluten-free pizza. In the previous edition in Cicciano, the association Autismo in Movimento Campania hosted cooking workshops and awareness-raising moments: a common thread that has accompanied the event since its early editions.
Parco delle Acque, the setting for the festival
The choice of Parco delle Acque is no coincidence: it is one of the most popular green spaces in the municipality of Pomigliano d'Arco, in the Metropolitan City of Naples, easily accessible and suitable for hosting a village with stands, a stage, play areas, and sports fields. The event is organized by the Vittoria Association with the patronage of the Campania Region, the Metropolitan City of Naples, and the Municipality of Pomigliano d'Arco, and the support of national sponsors.
A format that tours Campania
After the Pomigliano stop, Cooking Around has received requests from other Campanian municipalities interested in hosting the village, while its town of origin, Cicciano, remains a fixed appointment on the calendar. For those visiting the Vesuvius and Nola area, the event is a simple and free opportunity to taste the popular cuisine of Campania and experience the atmosphere of a contemporary town square festival.
Cooking Around — edition 2026
For its fifth edition, Cooking Around Fest became a traveling event and chose Pomigliano d'Arco as its first stop in 2026. The Parco delle Acque was transformed into an entertainment village open for eleven days, from June 4-7 and 11-14, designed for families, young people, and visitors of all ages.
Alongside the gastronomic route dedicated to artisanal excellence and the flavors of the Campanian tradition, the program offered live music, DJ sets, and comedy shows every evening, with a regional freestyle competition, the Cooking Around Summer Festival reserved for emerging artists, and a grand finale featuring Tommaso Primo and Enzo Fischetti. There was also plenty of space for sports, with foosball, beach volleyball, and boxing tournaments, and the Mani in pasta workshop for children, which involved about 160 participants.
The event, organized by the Vittoria Association with the patronage of the Campania Region, the Metropolitan City of Naples, and the Municipality of Pomigliano d'Arco, confirmed the inclusive vocation of the format thanks to the participation of the Aliter Social Cooperative and the gluten-free gastronomic offerings.
Programme Cooking Around 2026
First weekend: June 4-7, 2026
- Thursday, June 4 — Inauguration with Gigio Rosa and Pezza De Chiara, live broadcast and DJ set by Radio Marte, evening dedicated to the nineties.
- Friday, June 5 — Francesco Mastandrea and dance evening with entertainment by Radio Marte.
- Saturday, June 6 — Regional freestyle competition Let Him Cook Battle and live performance by the group Jam.
- Sunday, June 7 — Performance by the Mural Band and comedy show by Vincenzo Comunale.
Second weekend: June 11-14, 2026
- Thursday, June 11 — Concert by the Queen Forever tribute band and dance evening.
- Friday, June 12 — Live performance by Inna Cantina with entertainment by Flavio Sly and the Cooking Night.
- Saturday, June 13 — Cooking Around Summer Festival with over twenty emerging artists and DJ sets.
- Sunday, June 14 — Grand finale with Enzo Fischetti from Made in Sud and a concert by Tommaso Primo.
Throughout the event
- Street food route and traditional Campanian products, with showcooking by chefs and master pizza makers.
- Gluten-free options, including pizza designed for celiac visitors.
- Foosball, beach volleyball, and boxing tournaments.
- Children's area with entertainment, creative workshops, and the Mani in pasta project curated by Gemma Caruso.
Highlights Cooking Around 2026
- Eleven days of the village of taste over two consecutive weekends, with free admission.
- The grand finale on June 14 with Tommaso Primo and Enzo Fischetti from Made in Sud.
- The Cooking Around Summer Festival on June 13, a showcase for emerging Campanian artists.
- The Mani in pasta workshop, which involved about 160 children with pizza makers and chefs.
- Foosball, beach volleyball, and boxing tournaments in the park's sports area.
- Focus on inclusion, with the Aliter Social Cooperative and gluten-free options.
Prices Cooking Around 2026
Practical information — Cooking Around
Where it takes place
Parco delle Acque, Pomigliano d'Arco (NA), Campania. The park is located within the town center and can be reached on foot from the main city streets.
How to get there
- By car: Take the Pomigliano d'Arco exit from the Asse Mediano or the A16 motorway, then follow signs for the city center. On event days, it is advisable to park in the peripheral areas and continue on foot.
- By train: EAV station of Pomigliano d'Arco on the Circumvesuviana Naples-Nola-Baiano line, a short distance from the park.
- By plane: Naples-Capodichino Airport, approximately 15 km away.
Admission and hours
Free admission to all evenings. The village opens in the late afternoon and continues until night with concerts and shows; food and drinks at the gastronomic stands are paid for directly to the exhibitors.
Tips
- Sundays are the busiest days, especially for the workshops dedicated to children.
- Those with specific dietary needs can count on gluten-free options.
- For accommodation, the area offers facilities in Pomigliano d'Arco and neighboring towns, with Naples just over twenty minutes away.
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Where does it take place — Cooking Around
Parco delle Acque