Farmers' Festival of Gorla Maggiore

A festival dedicated to the land

The Farmers' Festival is the event with which Gorla Maggiore, in the Olona Valley in the province of Varese, celebrates the work of the fields and the link with the territory. The event aims to bring citizens and producers together, promoting short supply chains and the quality of local products. It takes place in February and revolves around three moments: the agricultural market, the blessing of tractors, and the convivial lunch.

The zero-km market

The day opens with the agricultural market at Area Seven in Via Sabotino, where a dozen producers from the area and other parts of Italy offer their products. It is an opportunity to get to know those who cultivate and raise up close, rediscovering the seasonality and origin of food with a view to sustainability.

The tractor blessing in Piazza Martiri

The symbolic heart of the festival is the move to Piazza Martiri, where the Holy Mass is celebrated with the traditional blessing of tractors and agricultural machinery. A ritual that unites the religious and peasant dimensions, deeply felt by the community of Gorla Maggiore, and which sees tractors parade through the town.

The convivial lunch

The festival concludes with a convivial lunch inspired by peasant cuisine: platters of appetizers, Barolo risotto with fondue, braised beef with polenta. A menu that enhances the flavors of Lombard tradition and concludes a day designed to bring the value of agriculture back to the center in a convivial atmosphere. For Gorla Maggiore and the province of Varese, it is a festival that combines memory, community, and attention to the environment.