Festival of Ancient Crafts, Knowledge, and Flavors of the Agro

A festival that tells the story of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese

The Festival of Ancient Crafts, Knowledge, and Flavors of the Agro is a street event held in Scafati, a town in the province of Salerno, Campania, along Via della Resistenza. Launched in 2022 by the SCAPHA APS association, it has quickly established a distinct identity: it is not merely a food festival, but a journey where traditional craftsmanship is re-enacted by local residents, complemented by the authentic flavors of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese.

Scafati lies between Mount Vesuvius and the Sarno Valley, in one of the most fertile plains of Southern Italy. Here, San Marzano tomatoes and Piennolo cherry tomatoes are grown, buffalo mozzarella is crafted, and vegetables are produced for tables across the country. The festival draws from this agricultural heritage, weaving it together with the memory of urban trades that have largely disappeared.

Traditional crafts brought back to life

The heart of the event is the workshop trail. Along the street, stations are set up where costumed performers demonstrate tools and techniques that new generations have never seen in action. Recent editions have featured:

• the scribe, who once drafted letters and documents for those who could not read;
• pasta makers, busy crafting handmade pasta;
• wool spinners and seamstresses, using antique spindles, looms, and sewing machines;
• cheesemakers, dedicated to the art of dairy production;
• dyers and winemakers, representing a craft chain that is now almost entirely industrialized.

The demonstrations are accompanied by short recited sketches: small theatrical scenes that explain to the audience what they are witnessing at each station. This is what sets this festival apart from many other food and wine events in the area, as visitors do not just taste, but learn where the products come from and who made them.

The flavors of rural tradition

The food stalls offer simple, recognizable Neapolitan and local cuisine. Dishes served in recent editions include potato gnocchi with roasted cherry tomatoes and buffalo burrata, cavatelli alla Nerano with Provolone del Monaco and lemon, caponata with buffalo mozzarella, fried pizza, spiga bread, boiled wheat, and, for dessert, watermelon, local lemon sorbet, and babà. A selection of local wines and craft beers is also available.

Folk music and Neapolitan memory

The two evenings are marked by traditional music from Naples and the Agro region: tammurriate, tarantellas, and classic songs, with groups like Paranza dell'Agro and Napoli in Festa entertaining crowds in past years. The 2026 edition featured Maestro Espedito De Marino, a guitarist and interpreter of Neapolitan song who recently held a lecture-concert at the European Parliament—a sophisticated touch in a deliberately popular context, consistent with the candidacy of Neapolitan music as UNESCO intangible heritage.

An inclusive, intergenerational celebration

SCAPHA APS emphasizes one point above all: the festival is built by children, young people, and the elderly working together, actively involving people with disabilities. The hands spinning wool or kneading dough are often those of people who have truly practiced these trades, working alongside local youth. This sense of community, even more than the program itself, is what makes the event a unique case in the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese.

When and where

The festival is usually held in June, on a Friday and Saturday evening, along Via della Resistenza in Scafati. It is held under the moral patronage of the Campania Region and the Municipality of Scafati. In 2026, the fifth edition took place on June 19th and 20th, featuring a significant new addition: the historical photo exhibition Scafati from 1900 to Today, curated by Catello Avagnale, which retraces over a century of city life through images, places, and faces.