Maccaronara Festival

One of Irpinia's oldest festivals

The Maccaronara Festival in Castelvetere sul Calore, a small town in the province of Avellino, Campania, reached its 46th edition in 2025. This milestone makes it one of the longest-running food and wine events in Irpinia, with origins dating back to the early 1980s. Organized by the Castelvetere sul Calore Pro Loco with the support of the municipal administration, the Campania Region, and the UNPLI provincial committee of Avellino, the festival is a mid-August fixture, drawing returning locals, vacationers, and visitors from neighboring towns.

Maccaronara: a simple water-and-flour pasta

The maccaronara is the town's signature dish: a humble dough made of nothing but water and flour, kneaded to the perfect consistency and cut into thick strands, similar to double-thick spaghetti. The dough is hand-rolled and passed through a traditional wooden frame, using a technique passed down through generations by local women. The sauce is intentionally simple—a long-simmered tomato sauce that highlights the pasta's rustic texture—because the pasta itself is the star of the show.

During the festival, the maccaronara is prepared on-site and served at stalls alongside other traditional Irpinian rural flavors:

• Maccaronara with tomato sauce, the main dish, served continuously;
• Grilled meats and local cured meats;
• Garden vegetables and seasonal side dishes;
• Artisanal desserts prepared by local housewives;
• Local wines from the Alta Valle del Calore, the heart of Irpinian viticulture.

Piazza Monumento, the heart of the celebration

The entire event takes place in Piazza Monumento, along Corso Umberto I, which transforms into a large open-air dining room for two days. Stalls usually open in the late afternoon, around 7:30 PM, and remain active until late at night. On the second day, it is traditional to host a lunch session dedicated to tasting local specialties. The long tables under the lights, the chatter in the local dialect, and the aroma of sauce wafting from the pots capture the atmosphere of old-fashioned village festivals better than any brochure.

Folk music, dancing, and conviviality

Beyond the gastronomy, the Maccaronara Festival has always reserved plenty of space for Southern folk music. Past editions have featured various folk groups from Irpinia and Campania, with tarantellas, accordions, and tammorre drums encouraging the crowd to dance until late at night; evenings typically conclude with DJ sets. The musical program is announced by the Pro Loco in the weeks leading up to the event.

A town to discover

Castelvetere sul Calore sits on a rocky spur overlooking the Calore River valley, in a hilly area known for its wines and rich calendar of traditions. In addition to the summer festival, the Pro Loco also organizes the Castelvetere Carnival, the Festa de lo Ucciolo in early July, and the autumn event Profumi d'Autunno. Visitors coming for the maccaronara can take the opportunity to explore the old town, the castle ruins, and the surrounding wineries in one of the most authentic areas of the Campanian hinterland.

When it takes place

The event is traditionally set for August 12th and 13th every year, on the eve of Ferragosto. For 2026, the provincial calendar of Irpinian Pro Loco associations confirms these two dates, which remain the most reliable reference for planning your visit.