Mountain Festival

Two days of authentic mountain life

Every September, Acerno, a small town in the province of Salerno nestled in the Picentini Mountains, dedicates an entire weekend to its identity as a mountain community. The Mountain Festival is not a fair built around a single product: it is an open-air reconstruction of a way of life defined by forests, pastures, pack animals, and trades passed down from father to son. The heart of the event is the park of ancient chestnut trees in the town center, where a true mountain village is set up for two days, while stalls featuring local products line via Duomo.

Ancient crafts brought back to life

The common thread is the demonstration of mountain crafts: roles that in Acerno are not just postcard folklore, but living memory. Over the two days, visitors can watch artisans and forest experts demonstrate the techniques, tools, and work rhythms of the past.

• the lumberjack, with cutting techniques and forest work;
• the charcoal burner and the construction of the catuozzo, the traditional charcoal kiln;
• the muleteer, with pack transport along the trails;
• the shepherd and the cowherd, with live cheesemaking and the quagliata;
• the blacksmith and artisans linked to the forest economy;
• tree climbing demonstrations, the professional art of climbing trees.

Mules, oxen, and forest games

The animal parades are the most anticipated and photographed moments. Harnessed mules cross the town center accompanied by their handlers, while the parade of oxen symbolically closes the day with a folkloric procession. There is no shortage of tests of strength and skill: the mountain games, the chainsaw competition, and the so-called «forest olympics», with the classic tug-of-war involving local teams and visitors.

Falconers, bees, and truffle dogs

The festival also reserves ample space for wildlife and activities related to the territory. The falconry exhibitions by «I Falconieri dell'Irno» attract a large audience, with demonstration flights of birds of prey several times a day. There are also beekeeping demonstrations, dedicated to the work of bees and mountain honey, and truffle dog training trials, with a real search competition.

«La Montagna a Tavola»: the flavors of the Picentini

The gastronomic section is named «La Montagna a Tavola»: a dining service that opens at noon with dishes from Acerno's mountain cuisine, from forest products to meats, cheeses, and traditional desserts. Stalls set up in the town center streets allow visitors to purchase local products directly from the producers.

Folklore, folk music, and traditional games

The evenings are dedicated to Campanian folk music, with groups like «I Valcalore» and «Ritmo Popolare» enlivening the town's squares and open spaces. The event's historical programs also document the greasy pole, the morra tournament, and tarantella performances: a festival that has always combined work, play, and dance.

A festival born from local community spirit

The Mountain Festival is organized by the Tannera Association with the patronage of the Municipality of Acerno. The event's historical records recall how it all began in the nineties with a group of local friends, driven by a desire for social cohesion and the will to recover ancient traditions: first with initiatives like the «Flowered Balconies» contest, then with an event that grew to become one of the most recognizable September appointments in the Salerno hinterland. In 2025, the 22nd edition was celebrated on the weekend of September 6th and 7th.

Acerno, gateway to the Picentini Mountains

Acerno is home to the Picentini Mountains Regional Park community, a landscape of beech forests, springs, and high-altitude pastures that explains why the festival chose the mountain as its theme. For those visiting Campania looking for something different from the coast, this corner of the province of Salerno offers hiking, fresh air even at the end of summer, and a land-based gastronomy tied to the seasons: not a show built for tourists, but a town putting itself on stage.