Leonforte PGI Peach Festival - Yellow Night

A festival dedicated to the Settembrina peach

The Leonforte PGI Peach Festival is one of the most anticipated food and wine events of the Sicilian autumn. Held in the heart of the historic center of Leonforte, in the province of Enna, it celebrates a truly unique product: the late-harvest Leonforte peach, known as Settembrina, which ripens when all other varieties have finished. Recognized with the PGI mark and protected as a Slow Food Presidium, this peach is distinguished by its firm, highly fragrant flesh and its traditional cultivation technique.

The art of bagging

What makes the Leonforte Peach truly special is the manual bagging process: each fruit is wrapped individually while still on the tree in parchment paper bags. This artisanal practice, handed down from generation to generation, protects the peach from fruit flies without the use of pesticides, ensuring a healthy, organic fruit with an unmistakable flavor. The festival is the perfect opportunity to discover this process up close and sample the fruit in many ways: fresh, in syrup, in jams, desserts, and liqueurs.

The program in the historic squares

During the festival days, the baroque living room of Leonforte, commissioned in the 17th century by Prince Nicolò Placido Branciforti, fills with food stalls, craft markets, and typical products from the Enna area. In addition to peaches, visitors will find black lentils, broad beans, extra virgin olive oil, and other local delicacies. Between Piazza Branciforti and Piazza Margherita, there is a rotation of performances, live music, conferences on product promotion, and children's activities, creating a festive atmosphere that involves the entire community.

The Yellow Night

The most evocative moment of the event is the Yellow Night, Leonforte's white night: shops and businesses stay open until late, while the historic center, with its Corso Umberto, comes alive with concerts, shows, and entertainment that continue until the early hours of the morning. It is an evening of great popular participation where the whole city gathers around its iconic fruit.

A long-standing tradition

Born in the early 1980s, the Peach Festival has grown to become a major showcase for the Leonforte PGI peach and the entire agricultural economy of the Enna area. Organized by the Pro Loco of Leonforte with the support of the Municipality of Leonforte, it attracts thousands of visitors from all over Sicily every year, united by the desire to discover the authentic flavors of this corner of inland Sicily.