Grape Harvest Festival

A festival born from the harvest

The Grape Harvest Festival in Capriglia Irpina is one of the most cherished autumn events in the hills surrounding Avellino. It is not a staged fair; it is rooted in the agricultural tradition that has defined the Irpinian autumn for centuries—the harvesting and treading of grapes—brought to life for the community as a village festival. The heart of the event is Piazza Municipio and the surrounding town center, where stalls, music, and social gatherings take place over several days.

The organization is managed by the Grape Harvest Festival committee, a group of local volunteers, with the patronage of the Municipality of Capriglia Irpina. In 2024, the event reached its sixteenth edition, marking its established place in the calendar of the province of Avellino, in Campania.

The traditional grape treading re-enactment

The most iconic moment of the festival is the re-enactment of grape treading: clusters of grapes are crushed with bare feet in wooden vats, just as they were before the advent of mechanical presses. Local schools participate in the re-enactment, with children directly involved in the process—a simple and effective way to pass on agricultural knowledge to new generations that might otherwise remain only in the stories of grandparents.

Alongside the agricultural aspect, there is a religious dimension typical of rural festivals in the South: on the final day, there is a blessing of agricultural vehicles and produce, a ritual that marks the end of the harvest cycle and the beginning of winemaking.

Food stalls and Irpinian wines

The culinary side is managed by the food and wine stalls set up by the committee, offering traditional Irpinian dishes paired with local wine. You are in the heart of one of the most prestigious wine-producing areas in Southern Italy: just a few kilometers away, Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Taurasi are produced—three denominations that have made Irpinia a national benchmark for hillside wines.

A detail worth noting is the attention to dietary needs: gluten-free menus are available throughout the event, a choice still rarely found in small-scale festivals.

• Re-enactment of traditional grape treading with local schools
• Welcome toast and opening of the stalls
• Typical Irpinian dishes and local wines
• Live folk music
• Blessing of agricultural vehicles and produce
• Final community lunch featuring local products
• Gluten-free menus available

The community lunch

The festival concludes with the community lunch on Sunday, a shared meal featuring local products that brings together residents, emigrants who have returned for the occasion, and visitors around long tables, accompanied by music. It is the moment that best captures the spirit of the event: not a show to watch, but a day to experience together with the village. In recent editions, entertainment has been provided by folk music groups such as I Cumpari and Ciro di Roma.

Capriglia Irpina, a village at the gates of Avellino

Capriglia Irpina is a small town of a few thousand inhabitants nestled in the hills north of the provincial capital, a short distance from the Partenio massif. Its location, about ten minutes from the Avellino motorway exits, makes it easily accessible from Naples and Benevento, while retaining the intimate atmosphere of the inland villages of Campania. The town is also known for other popular traditions, such as La Zeza, a carnival performance in verse passed down from generation to generation.

When it takes place

The Grape Harvest Festival is traditionally held in October, once the harvest is complete. The dates vary from year to year and are announced by the organizing committee, usually on the event's social media channels and the tourism portals of the Province of Avellino, a few weeks in advance. Those planning a visit should check the calendar before traveling.