Matassino Strawberries and Cream Festival
The great spring festival of the Valdarno, featuring strawberries with cream, sports, and community spirit
About Matassino Strawberries and Cream
A community-focused festival in the heart of the Valdarno
In the municipality of Figline e Incisa Valdarno, in the province of Florence, the village of Matassino hosts one of the most heartfelt events in the Valdarno every spring: the Strawberries and Cream Festival. Organized by the Santa Maria Regina Parish, the festival is much more than a gastronomic event: it is a moment when an entire community—a village that spans three municipalities and two provinces, Figline e Incisa Valdarno and Reggello in the province of Florence, and Castelfranco Piandiscò in the province of Arezzo—comes together to celebrate.
Strawberries and cream, the queens of the table
The signature dish, naturally, is the strawberries with cream, served at the stands throughout the event. Alongside them is a rich and varied gastronomic offering: sandwiches, crêpes, hot dogs, sausages, Sicilian cannoli and arancini, Apulian panzerotti, as well as essential gluten-free options. There is no shortage of grand themed dinners that mark the evenings, from the pork shank dinner to the Matassino-style spit-roasted meat, and the famous street dinner that gathers hundreds of diners under the stars.
Sports, shows, and solidarity
The program goes far beyond the table. For days, the village comes alive with soccer, volleyball, and minibasket tournaments, running races, rugby demonstrations, and dance performances. There is also space for theatrical shows, live music, medieval games, inflatables for the little ones, and exhibitions. The common thread of every edition is the spirit of solidarity: round tables, conferences, and meetings address social issues, from sport as a school of life to inclusion, with the participation of guests from the worlds of sport, culture, and the Church.
A tradition nearly forty years long
Born in the 1980s as a parish feast, the festival has grown to become a major attraction for the entire Valdarno. The recurring theme—"Doing together, being a community"—tells the authentic spirit of the event: not just a simple gathering, but an opportunity to strengthen bonds between people. The festival traditionally closes with the solemn Marian procession and a fireworks display, in a finale that combines popular devotion and collective joy.
Matassino Strawberries and Cream — edition 2026
To celebrate the milestone of forty years, the 2026 edition of the Strawberries and Cream Festival doubled up: two weekends of festivities instead of one, with a packed program of events for all ages. Alongside the food stands with strawberries and cream, themed dinners, and specialties, there were sports tournaments, theatrical performances, concerts, social-themed conferences, and activities for families. The closing, on Sunday, May 31, featured the solemn Marian procession followed by the fireworks display, with the participation of the Archbishop of Florence and local parishes.
Programme Matassino Strawberries and Cream 2026
First weekend
Friday, May 22
- 21:15 — Theatrical show "Follow me, from today you will be called Peter" with Pietro Sarubbi
Saturday, May 23
- 17:00 — Pediatric choking rescue course
- 18:00 — Inauguration of the "Campino" changing rooms
- 18:15 — Inclusive basketball match
- 20:00 — "Dinner and dancing under the stars" with the Sciacchetrà Street Band
- 21:30 — 70s and 80s music night
Sunday, May 24
- 15:00 — Rulla throwing tournament
- 15:30 — Rugby lessons, medieval games, MTB trail
- 17:30 — Youth soccer tournament
- 21:00 — Ballroom dancing night
Second weekend
Thursday, May 28
- 19:00 — Gastronomic evening with pork shank
- 20:00 — Amateur soccer tournament
- 21:15 — Theatrical show "Rumors"
Friday, May 29
- 15:00 — Volleyball tournament
- 17:30 — Round table "Sport as a school of life" with Maurizio Sarri, Daniele Tognaccini (founder of MilanLab), and Father Biancalani (CSI Tuscany)
- 19:00 — Pork shank dinner (also for takeaway)
- 21:15 — Live concert by Lorenzo Baglioni
Saturday, May 30
- 15:30 — Minibasket tournament
- 17:00 — Meeting in church "No one excluded" with Monsignor Gambelli and Salvatore Inguì (Libera)
- 18:30 — Holy Mass presided over by Archbishop Gambelli
- 20:00 — Dinner with Matassino-style spit-roasted meat and liver skewers
- 20:45 — Dance performance
- 21:30 — DJ set
Sunday, May 31
- 08:30 — "Strawberries and Cream" running race
- 16:00 — Musical show
- 18:30 — Tombola
- 21:00 — Solemn Marian procession
- 22:45 — Fireworks display
Throughout the duration: food stands (strawberries and cream, sandwiches, crêpes, hot dogs, sausages, Sicilian cannoli and arancini, Apulian panzerotti, gluten-free options), flea market (May 30-31), LEGO exhibition, art exhibition, inflatable games, and free health screenings.
Highlights Matassino Strawberries and Cream 2026
Prices Matassino Strawberries and Cream 2026
Practical information — Matassino Strawberries and Cream
Where it takes place
The festival is held at the Santa Maria Regina Parish in Matassino, a village of Figline e Incisa Valdarno (FI), Via Papa Giovanni XXIII.
How to get there
By car: Matassino can be reached from the Incisa-Reggello exit of the A1 motorway, just a few minutes from the toll booth. By train: the Figline Valdarno station, on the Florence-Arezzo-Rome line, is the closest.
Information and reservations
For dinners, reservations are recommended at +39 320 6040921 and +39 320 5373735. Admission to the festival is free; payment is made upon consumption at the food stands.
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Where does it take place — Matassino Strawberries and Cream
Parrocchia Santa Maria Regina di Matassino
Via Papa Giovanni XXIII, 2A, 50066 Figline e Incisa Valdarno