Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast
Four days of peasant civilization, roast goose, and dancing at Villa Salvati in Pianello Vallesina
About Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast
A festival that tells the story of the Vallesina peasant civilization
The Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast is one of the most beloved summer events in Pianello Vallesina, a populous hamlet of the Municipality of Monte Roberto, in the province of Ancona, in the heart of the Castelli di Jesi area and the Marche region. Organized by the Mille luci e...altro Association, the event celebrates the traditions of the rural world of Marche, when wheat harvesting and threshing marked the rhythm of summer in the Vallesina countryside.
The setting of Villa Salvati
The festival takes place in the park of Villa Salvati, a neoclassical residence built between 1805 and 1820 at the behest of Serafino Salvati, based on a design by Roman architect Giuseppe Camporese. Surrounded by a long avenue of lime trees and a historic park, the villa offers a suggestive backdrop for outdoor evenings, with music, dancing, and the aromas of peasant cuisine.
Roast goose and traditional cuisine
The gastronomic heart of the feast is the roast goose, the star dish of the stalls that open every evening. Tradition also offers the robust flavors of Marche's rural cuisine: gnocchi with goose sauce, "del batte" macaroni, tagliatelle with ragu, pork knuckle, tripe, beans with pork rind, steaks, sausages, and various side dishes. It is a true village table, simple and abundant.
Threshing, folklore, and fun
In addition to food, the festival features threshing and plowing demonstrations with local folk groups, who showcase ancient agricultural crafts to the public. There are also craft markets, inflatable areas and games for children, a lucky dip wheel, dancing evenings with folk bands and DJs, as well as vintage car and motorcycle rallies. It is a festival designed for all ages, blending memory, community, and joy on warm July evenings.
Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast — edition 2026
The 2026 edition (the 18th) of the Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast enlivens Villa Salvati in Pianello Vallesina from Thursday, July 9 to Sunday, July 12. Every day, from 5:00 PM, entertainment and games, inflatable areas, a lucky dip wheel, and craft markets; from 7:00 PM, the food stalls open with roast goose as the main dish. The evenings alternate shows, folk groups, and lots of dancing, in a village festival that attracts thousands of visitors from the Vallesina area each year.
Programme Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast 2026
Thursday, July 9
- From 5:00 PM — Entertainment, games, inflatable areas, lucky dip wheel, and craft markets
- 7:00 PM — Food stalls open (roast goose) and performance by the Nuovo Spazio Studio Danza dance school of Jesi
- 9:00 PM — Dialect comedy with the Briciole d'Arte company from Montefano
- Following — Evening with DJ Mattia Zucca
Friday, July 10
- From 5:00 PM — Entertainment, games, and markets; from 7:00 PM food stalls
- 9:00 PM — Mundo Latino dancing evening
- Following — Afro Evening with DJ Tium
Saturday, July 11
- From 5:00 PM — Entertainment, games, and markets; from 7:00 PM food stalls
- 6:00 PM — Harvesting and plowing demonstration with the Urbanitas Folk Group of Apiro
- 9:00 PM — Crazy 90's show, 90s party
- 11:30 PM — Disco with the Chiringuito Beach Club of Senigallia
Sunday, July 12
- 10:00 AM — Vintage car rally and opening of the softair area
- 10:30 AM — Takeaway food reservation
- 11:00 AM — Holy Mass
- 12:00 PM — Food stalls open for lunch
- 5:00 PM — Ducati motorcycle rally
- 6:00 PM — Harvesting demonstration with La Damigiana
- 9:00 PM — Ballroom dancing with the Joselito orchestra and entertainment
Highlights Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast 2026
Prices Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast 2026
Practical information — Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast
Where
Villa Salvati, Pianello Vallesina hamlet, Monte Roberto (AN), in the Castelli di Jesi area.
How to get there
By car: take the Jesi exit from the SS 76 (Vallesina) expressway, then continue towards Pianello Vallesina and Monte Roberto. By train: Jesi station on the Rome-Ancona line, then local connections towards the Vallesina.
Opening hours
Food stalls open every evening from 7:00 PM; entertainment and markets from the afternoon (from 5:00 PM). On Sundays, also open for lunch.
Admission and contacts
Free admission. Organization: Mille luci e...altro Association, contact Daniele Federici, tel. +39 328 1198146.
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Where does it take place — Harvesting Festival and Goose Feast
Villa Salvati, Pianello Vallesina