Local Products and Beer Festival

A village celebration in the heart of the Sannio region

Melizzano is a small town in the province of Benevento, overlooking the Valle Telesina in Campania. Every year in September, the village dedicates three evenings to the Local Products and Beer Festival: a celebration created to showcase the authentic produce of the local countryside and cellars, and to bring the community together as summer fades and the grape harvest begins.

The event is organized by the ViviSannio association alongside the Municipality of Melizzano and the Pro Loco. It retains the feel of an authentic village fair: no massive stages, just long communal tables, food stalls, local bands, and a warm, family-friendly atmosphere best enjoyed by wandering through the town center, where cellar doors remain open late into the night.

What to eat and drink

The festival's name says it all: here, local products and beer share the spotlight in a format that has recently drawn inspiration from Oktoberfest. Stalls open in the evening, and on weekends, the kitchen also operates at lunchtime, allowing visitors to enjoy a meal before exploring the village.

• Bruschetta topped with extra virgin olive oil produced in the surrounding hills;
• Wines of the Sannio Beneventano, one of the most expansive wine-growing regions in Campania;
• Draft beer served at the stalls, alongside tastings of local specialties;
• Cured meats, desserts, and oils from the traditional Melizzano rural heritage.

Village cellars open to visitors

What truly sets this festival apart from many others in the Sannio region is the opening of the local wine cellars. On the final day, in addition to the stalls, producers welcome visitors directly into their cellars, turning the tasting experience into a journey through the village's agricultural roots. Recent editions have also featured guided cellar tours and territorial discovery itineraries by reservation—a perfect way to understand the origins of the wines enjoyed in the square.

Live music

Each evening is accompanied by an open-air concert, mostly featuring local bands playing a mix of pop, rock, and blues. The 2025 edition saw performances by Voice Noise, Blue Stuff, and the closing act, Progetto Sound: folk music in the simplest sense, with the square dancing right next to the festival tables.

Tractors, vintage tools, and rural memory

The festival goes beyond just food and drink. The program also includes a tractor parade and an exhibition of vintage agricultural tools, showcasing field work as it was before modern mechanization. This is the most identity-defining part of the festival: for many families in Melizzano, those tools are still family heirlooms, not museum pieces.

Melizzano and the Valle Telesina

Visitors arriving for the festival find themselves in one of the most interesting areas of the Sannio region. The Valle Telesina, bordered to the south by the Taburno-Camposauro massif, is a land of vineyards, olive groves, and small hillside villages. Melizzano has just over 1,500 inhabitants and retains a compact historic center, with the countryside beginning immediately beyond the last houses. Throughout the rest of the year, the town hosts other events curated by ViViSannio and the Pro Loco, ranging from historical re-enactments to Christmas festivities in the square.

When it takes place

The festival is traditionally held in September, spanning three days over a weekend. The 2025 edition took place from September 19th to 21st. Dates for 2026 have not yet been announced: it is best to follow the channels of the ViviSannio association and the Municipality of Melizzano, where the program is usually published a few weeks before the event.