Grop de la Mèscres de Dèlba e Penia Country Festival (San Rocco)

A Ladin festival in the heart of the Dolomites

The Grop de la Mèscres de Dèlba e Penìa Country Festival is the summer event that, every Ferragosto, brings the figures and sounds of the famous Ladin Carnival of the upper valley back to Penìa — the highest hamlet in the municipality of Canazei, in Val di Fassa (Province of Trento, Trentino-Alto Adige). The event takes place over the weekend around August 15th and celebrates the hamlet's patron saints, San Rocco and San Sebastiano.

The "Sia": a Venetian sawmill as a stage

The heart of the event is the "Sia" green area, the ancient hydraulic Venetian sawmill of Penìa, now part of the Ladin Museum of Fassa. In this evocative space, amidst the wood and water that once powered the blades, the festival's marquee and beer garden are set up, and the famous faceres are displayed—hand-carved wooden masks that transform the faces of those who wear them.

The Ladin Carnival in summer

The Grop de la Mèscres de Dèlba e Penìa is a volunteer association founded in 1969, dedicated to promoting one of the oldest and most prestigious popular traditions in the Alps: the Ladin Carnival of the upper Val di Fassa. During the San Rocco festival, the traditional figures of the winter ritual — from the Lachè to the Bufon, from the Marascons to the faceres da bel and da burt — emerge from storage to parade among the public, wearing costumes adorned with colorful ribbons and large cowbells.

Three days of programming

• Friday: Opening of the beer garden with an aperitif, live music, traditional dinner, and a dance evening.
• Saturday: Holy Mass in the morning, aperitif and traditional lunch under the marquee, followed by more live music, dinner, and dancing until late.
• Sunday: Concert by a brass band, traditional lunch, and in the afternoon, the folk parade from the Penìa square to the sawmill, featuring performances by the Grop de la Mèscres and guest groups.

Fassa flavors

The festival is also an opportunity to enjoy Ladin cuisine from the Dolomites: traditional dishes served under the marquee accompany every day, from Saturday lunch to the dance dinners. A genuine, community-focused event that combines devotion to the patron saints, the memory of the Ladin Carnival, and the hospitality of one of the most characteristic villages in the Val di Fassa.