Corn Festival

The Corn Festival in Calore di Mirabella Eclano

The Corn Festival is the most anticipated summer event in Calore, a village in the municipality of Mirabella Eclano, in the province of Avellino, in the heart of Irpinia and the Campania region. Regarded as the oldest food and wine event in the Valle del Calore, it attracts visitors every year from across the province and neighboring towns, as well as locals who return home for their summer holidays. The undisputed star is corn, a historic crop of these lands, celebrated in every form during the festival evenings.

Nearly half a century of history

The event began in the late 1970s through the initiative of the Calore community and has spanned the decades without losing its genuine, grassroots character: the 40th edition was celebrated in 2016, while 2025 marked the 47th edition. Traditionally held between late July and early August—the 46th edition took place on July 27-28, 2024, the 45th on July 29-30, 2023, and the 40th on July 30-31, 2016—the calendar sometimes shifts, as seen in 2025, when the festival was scheduled for the first weekend of September.

Corn on the table: the festival dishes

The menu of the Corn Festival is a small treatise on Irpinian peasant cuisine, built around corn and recipes passed down through generations of Calore families. As per tradition, the cooking is handled by the members of the Pro Loco.

• Boiled and roasted corn cobs, the signature dish that gives the festival its name.
• Polenta and corn bread, prepared according to the local recipe.
• Cicatielli col pulieio, fresh handmade pasta seasoned with wild pennyroyal from the Irpinian fields.
• Minestra maritata, the great classic of Campanian cuisine with vegetables and meats.
• Meat with peppers and grilled sausages.
• Corn ice cream and corn-based desserts to end the evening.

Irpinian wines

Tastings are accompanied by local wines from one of the most prestigious wine-growing areas in Southern Italy: the local Aglianico, but also great Irpinian denominations such as Taurasi DOCG, Fiano di Avellino DOCG, and Greco di Tufo DOCG, produced just a few kilometers from Mirabella Eclano. A pairing that tells the story of the Valle del Calore's gastronomic identity better than any description.

Folk music and festive atmosphere

The festival evenings are enlivened by folk music groups and entertainment shows that transform the streets and small squares of the village into a large open-air folk party. Tarantellas, traditional songs, and group dances accompany the tastings until late at night, in a convivial setting that brings together families, young people, and passing visitors.

A festival built by volunteers

Behind the Corn Festival is the work of the "La Pannocchia" Pro Loco, an association with dozens of volunteer members that spends more than ten days setting up the event. The focus on the quality and authenticity of the products, combined with the hospitality that the people of Calore offer their visitors, is what has made this festival a benchmark among the food and wine events of Irpinia. The event is held under the patronage of the Municipality of Mirabella Eclano, the Province of Avellino, and the Campania Region, and is part of the Unpli Pro Loco circuit.

Why attend

• The oldest festival in the Valle del Calore, with nearly fifty years of history.
• A menu entirely built around corn and traditional Irpinian peasant cuisine.
• Great DOCG wines of Irpinia paired with local dishes.
• Evenings of folk music and dancing in an authentic village in the province of Avellino.
• An opportunity to discover Mirabella Eclano and the Valle del Calore area in Campania.