Grape Harvest Festival at Parco Museo Jalari

A peasant ritual in the heart of Sicily

The Grape Harvest Festival at Parco Museo Jalari is one of the most cherished events on the autumn calendar in Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto, in the province of Messina. Every year in September, the large museum park in the Jalari district transforms into an open-air theater where the gestures, sounds, and flavors of the Sicilian winemaking tradition come to life. It is a festival that speaks of roots, land, and community, capable of moving both adults and children.

Treading in the Palmento Verga

The heart of the event is the traditional grape treading, which takes place in the evocative Palmento Verga, an 18th-century wine press perfectly preserved within the park. Participants, barefoot in the vat, crush the clusters according to the ancient peasant method, accompanied by songs, dances, and folk music from local groups. It is a collective moment that represents the unity of the community around the cycle of the land.

Music, exhibitions, and flavors

The day begins with the gastronomic service of the Putìa Jalari, where you can taste bread made from ancient grains filled with organic products from the farm, along with local specialties accompanied by regional wine. In the afternoon, a colorful procession, led by folk groups, guides guests toward the wine press for the re-enactment of the treading. Attractions include traditional games, photographic exhibitions dedicated to past editions, the re-enactment of the ancient "U Babberi" barbershop with salon music, and folk music performances. The festival concludes with the grand bean stew, offered to all attendees.

A history spanning over forty years

The event was born in 1979 at the behest of General Giuseppe Bellinvia, who was deeply attached to his roots in the village of Maloto, near Barcellona Pozzo di Gotto. The first edition was held in a country farmhouse, amidst songs, accordions, and guitars, with families bringing bread, cheese, sweets, and grapes to share. Since then, the festival has grown to become an identity-defining event for all of northeastern Sicily, serving as a guardian of ancient viticultural practices and the rural culture of Messina.