Great Frog Festival

A festival in the heart of the Marsica region

The Great Frog Festival is one of the most deep-rooted culinary events of the summer in the town of Ortucchio, a small village in the province of L'Aquila, Abruzzo. The event takes place in the evocative setting of the Ortigia pond, a body of water that serves as a living memory of the ancient Fucino Lake, which was drained in the 19th century and transformed into the vast Marsica agricultural plain.

Fried frogs: the star of the table

The signature dish of the festival is fried frogs, a specialty tied to the lakeside tradition of Ortucchio, once a village of fishermen overlooking the waters of the Fucino. Alongside the frogs, the food stalls offer other typical Marsica flavors: sheep arrosticini, local Ortucchio soup, stewed snails, grilled sausages, and Marsica porchetta. It is authentic street food, designed to accompany an evening in the open air.

Music, families, and conviviality

The festival is about more than just food: the evening is enlivened by live music, with concerts and tribute bands performing on the stage set up by the lake. The 2025 edition featured the Hurricane, the official Pooh tribute band. There is no shortage of entertainment for children, games, and the traditional summer raffle, making the event perfect for families and young people alike.

Organization and tradition

The event is organized by the Pro Loco Ortigia in collaboration with the Municipality of Ortucchio and the Festival Committee. Established in the early 2000s, the festival has surpassed its twentieth edition and is now a classic of the Marsica summer calendar, included in the OrtucchiAMO program that accompanies the village from June to September.

An event in the Fucino landscape

Attending the Great Frog Festival also means discovering a lesser-known corner of inland Abruzzo: the pond, the reeds, and the village of Ortucchio, dominated by the remains of the Piccolomini castle that once stood on an island in the middle of the lake. It is an evening that combines authentic flavors, music, and the unique history of this territory in the province of L'Aquila.