Getsemani Woods Festival

A young festival in an ancient forest

The Getsemani Woods Festival is one of the most recent additions to the event calendar of Capaccio Paestum, in the province of Salerno, yet it has already become a highly anticipated end-of-summer tradition in the Cilento region. It was born in 2024 around the Sanctuary of Gesù Agonizzante, a religious complex nestled in a pine forest—known to pilgrims in Campania simply as "the Getsemani." The event takes place in the large wooded area adjacent to the sanctuary, which is transformed for the occasion into a village of stalls, long tables, and stages.

The concept behind the festival is as simple as it is effective: bringing the community together under the trees, combining the September religious observance with a moment of conviviality open to everyone, residents and visitors alike. The result is an event that feels nothing like an anonymous fair: the food is excellent, there is folk music, children play among the pines, and the evening concludes under the open sky, often with a fireworks display.

The Sanctuary of Gesù Agonizzante

The Getsemani Sanctuary, entrusted to the Oblates of St. Joseph, stands along the road connecting the plains of Paestum to the historic center of Capaccio. It is known as an "ecological-spiritual oasis," featuring a park with tall trees, meditation paths, and an open-air amphitheater used in summer for evening celebrations. The feast of Gesù Agonizzante falls in mid-September and serves as the devotional heart of the event, with masses, the rosary, and a procession featuring the image of the sanctuary's patron.

The religious and secular programs coexist seamlessly: celebrations take place in the morning and late afternoon, while the festival in the woods begins after sunset. This is a common formula in Southern Italy, where patronal feasts serve as both a ritual and a social occasion, and it works particularly well here thanks to the space and shade of the pine forest.

The culinary trail

The food trail generally opens at 8:00 PM and remains active throughout the evening. The menu draws from the repertoire of Cilento and Sele Plain cuisine—a territory known for its buffalo mozzarella, PGI artichokes from Paestum, olive oil, and baked goods. The stalls are managed by volunteers, and the system uses the classic ticket method for purchases along the route.

• Traditional Cilento peasant dishes
• Typical products from the Sele Plain and Cilento
• Homemade desserts and baked goods
• Outdoor seating area under the pine trees

Markets, crafts, and children's area

Alongside the food stalls, you will find artisan markets featuring local exhibitors: ceramics, woodwork, textiles, small trinkets, and local producers. It is the part of the festival to be enjoyed at a leisurely pace, strolling between a meal and a show.

The children's area is very well-curated, featuring wooden games, creative workshops, and, in past editions, a mobile toy library and pony and horse rides. This is one of the reasons why the Getsemani Woods Festival is particularly popular with families: the space is vast, closed to traffic, and easy to supervise.

Music, comedy, and fireworks

Every evening features a stage performance: folk music groups and storytellers, comedy-musical shows featuring well-known faces from the Campania scene, and dance parties that continue late into the night. The final evening is traditionally the most crowded, featuring a raffle draw and the fireworks display that lights up the sky above the treetops.

Why it's worth the trip

Those visiting Paestum for the archaeological park and the Doric temples will find here the contemporary flip side of the same territory: the village festival, home-cooked food, and popular devotion. The woods are just a few minutes' drive from the archaeological site and the coast, and the event takes place in the second half of September, when Cilento is still warm but finally peaceful. It is the perfect opportunity to combine a day among temples and the sea with an evening of authentic celebration.

Good to know

• The festival takes place in the wooded area and the new parking lot of the Getsemani Sanctuary
• Admission to the area is free; you only pay for what you consume
• Evenings begin after sunset, generally at 8:00 PM
• Outdoor event: comfortable shoes and a light jacket for the evening are recommended