Emigrant Festival of Veppo
The return of emigrants to Veppo, between memory and celebration
About Emigrant Festival
The memory of emigration
In Veppo, a hamlet of the municipality of Rocchetta di Vara in the province of La Spezia, the Emigrant Festival is much more than a local fair: it is a moment of shared memory. Founded in 1979, the event commemorates the era of emigration to France in the Fifties and Sixties, when many inhabitants of Val di Vara left their homes in search of work.
The summer return
Every summer, around mid-August, emigrants and their descendants return to Veppo, which for a few days regains its former vitality. The festival thus becomes an opportunity to reconnect the threads of the community, between those who stayed and those who left, in a small village in the hinterland bordering Lunigiana.
Taste, dancing, and culture
The program includes food stalls with traditional dishes, dancing evenings, and cultural moments dedicated to the history of emigration. An authentic and heartfelt celebration, which celebrates the identity and roots of Veppo and Val di Vara, far from the most beaten tourist circuits.
Emigrant Festival — edition 2026
For 2026, the Emigrant Festival of Veppo is expected in the days around mid-August, according to tradition (the most recent edition took place from August 14th to 16th). The program includes food stalls open for lunch and dinner, dancing evenings, and cultural events dedicated to the history of emigration to France. The exact dates will be announced by the Municipality and the community of Veppo closer to the event.
Programme Emigrant Festival 2026
The detailed 2026 program has not yet been published. The festival usually includes:
- Food stalls with traditional dishes, open for lunch and dinner
- Dancing and music evenings
- Cultural events dedicated to the memory of emigration
Highlights Emigrant Festival 2026
Prices Emigrant Festival 2026
Practical information — Emigrant Festival
How to get there
By car: from La Spezia, take the Val di Vara road up to Rocchetta di Vara, then continue towards the hamlet of Veppo, on the border with Lunigiana. Valley roads.
Admission
Free admission; food and drinks at the stalls, open for lunch and dinner on the festival days.
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Where does it take place — Emigrant Festival
Veppo, frazione di Rocchetta di Vara
Veppo, 19020 Rocchetta di Vara