Mulignana Festival
A night in Scafati dedicated to the eggplant, the queen of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese vegetable garden
About Mulignana Festival
An evening dedicated to the queen of the Campanian vegetable garden
In the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese region, the eggplant is no ordinary vegetable: it is a symbol of summer cuisine. For decades, Scafati has dedicated a festival to it, using its dialect name, the mulignana. The Mulignana Festival is a unique, intense, and focused evening that every July transforms Piazza Vittorio Veneto into a massive open-air kitchen, with stalls lined up across the square and families arriving on foot from every neighborhood.
Scafati, in the heart of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese
The Municipality of Scafati, in the province of Salerno, is located in Campania, just a few kilometers from Pompeii, along the Sarno river in one of Italy's most fertile plains. This is the land of the San Marzano tomato and the vegetables that built the reputation of the Campanian canning industry: here, the festival is not a folkloric reconstruction, but a direct story of what the garden produces in July. Created to showcase local products and home cooking, the event has become one of the most anticipated gastronomic appointments in the Agro, attracting visitors from neighboring towns and the Vesuvius area.
What to eat
The menu revolves entirely around the eggplant, prepared according to traditional Campanian peasant recipes and a few more creative variations. In various editions, the stalls have offered:
- eggplant parmigiana, golden and fried, the festival's signature dish;
- eggplant meatballs, one of the most requested specialties;
- stuffed eggplant with meat and cheese;
- grilled eggplant, plain or seasoned with oil, garlic, and mint;
- battered eggplant and eggplant preserved in oil according to family tradition;
- sandwiches with sausage and a side of mulignane, cuzzetielli, frittatine, and fries;
- seasonal fruit and desserts to end the evening.
For several years, there has also been a gluten-free stand certified by the Italian Celiac Association of Campania, ensuring that those with celiac disease can safely enjoy the festival's offerings.
Neapolitan music, dancing, and square atmosphere
The festivities spill out from the stalls into the square: live Neapolitan music with local bands and orchestras, tarantellas, folk dances, and traditional games accompany the evening until late. It is a familiar and lively atmosphere in the best sense of the word, with improvised tables, children running among the festive lights, and different generations coming together in the same space.
A festival tied to the patron saint's feast
The Mulignana Festival is not an isolated event: it is organized by the Catholic Action of Santa Maria delle Vergini and effectively opens the celebrations in honor of Santa Maria delle Vergini, the patron saint of Scafati, traditionally celebrated around the fourth Sunday of July. In the following days, the city hosts solemn masses and long processions through the neighborhoods, while Piazza Vittorio Veneto hosts band concerts and shows. For the people of Scafati, the festival is the moment when civil and religious celebrations meet: eating together before walking together behind the patron saint's statue.
Free admission and affordable prices
Access to the event area is free. Dishes and drinks are paid for with tickets purchased directly at the stalls, with prices kept intentionally low: this is a historical choice by the organizers, who view the festival as a community moment open to everyone rather than a commercial operation. Vegetarian options are generally available, as the star of the evening is a vegetable.
Tips for your visit
Since it is a one-night event, it is best to arrive early: the stalls open in the early evening and the square fills up quickly. Those who want to combine the festival with a day trip can take advantage of the proximity to the Pompeii excavations, the Royal Palace of Portici, and the coast, ending the day in Scafati with parmigiana and tarantellas.
Mulignana Festival — edition 2026
Mulignana Festival 2026
On Friday, July 24, 2026, Piazza Vittorio Veneto filled up once again for the Mulignana Festival, the evening that opens the long weekend of patronal celebrations in Scafati. The food stalls featured the festival's classic repertoire: golden-fried eggplant parmigiana, meatballs, stuffed, grilled, and battered eggplant, along with sausage sandwiches with a side of mulignane.
The formula remained the same as always: free admission to the event area, consumption via tickets purchased at individual stalls at affordable prices, and the presence of a gluten-free stand certified by the Italian Celiac Association of Campania. Accompanying the outdoor dinner were live Neapolitan music, tarantellas, and folk dances in the square.
In the following days, the city continued with the religious and civil program dedicated to Santa Maria delle Vergini: solemn masses and processions through the neighborhoods from July 25 to 27, the tribute to Renzo Arbore by the Orchestra all'Italiana in Piazza Vittorio Veneto on July 27, and the concert by Rosario Miraggio on July 28, both part of the Scafati Summer 2026 lineup.
Programme Mulignana Festival 2026
Friday, July 24, 2026 — Piazza Vittorio Veneto
- Evening opening of the Mulignana Festival food stalls, organized by the Catholic Action of Santa Maria delle Vergini.
- Eggplant-based tastings: golden-fried parmigiana, eggplant meatballs, stuffed, grilled, and battered eggplant, sausage sandwiches with a side of mulignane, frittatine, fries, fruit, and desserts.
- Gluten-free stand and vegetarian options.
- Live Neapolitan music, tarantellas, and folk dances in the square until late.
The rest of the patronal celebrations
- Saturday, July 25: Solemn mass at 11:00 AM presided over by Monsignor Pasquale Capasso; at 5:00 PM, procession through Via G. Cavallaro, Via Maria d'Ungheria, Parco Vinicio, Via Terralavoro, Via Giovanni XXIII, Corso Nazionale, and surrounding streets.
- Sunday, July 26: Solemn mass at 8:00 AM presided over by Father Gennaro Romano and morning procession; in the afternoon, at 5:00 PM, second religious procession from Via Cristoforo Colombo towards Parco Primavera and surrounding neighborhoods.
- Monday, July 27: Solemn mass at 8:00 AM presided over by Father Leonardo Falco and morning procession; at 5:00 PM, procession through Via Fiume, Via Trieste, and the Vetrari district with a stop at Santa Maria delle Grazie. In the evening, in Piazza Vittorio Veneto, a tribute to Renzo Arbore with the Orchestra all'Italiana.
- Tuesday, July 28: Concert by Rosario Miraggio in the square.
Highlights Mulignana Festival 2026
- Golden-fried eggplant parmigiana, the evening's signature dish.
- Eggplant meatballs, among the most requested items at the stalls.
- Gluten-free stand certified by the Italian Celiac Association of Campania.
- Live Neapolitan music, tarantellas, and folk dances in Piazza Vittorio Veneto.
- The start of the celebrations in honor of Santa Maria delle Vergini, with processions and concerts in the following days.
Prices Mulignana Festival 2026
Practical information — Mulignana Festival
Where it takes place
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, in the center of Scafati (province of Salerno, Campania). The square is the heart of the city and also hosts other events for the patronal celebrations.
How to get there
- By car: Take the Scafati/Angri exit on the A3 Naples-Pompeii-Salerno motorway, then follow signs for the center. On festival nights, the square and adjacent streets are closed to traffic: it is best to park in nearby streets and continue on foot.
- Surroundings: Scafati is just a few kilometers from Pompeii, Angri, and Nocera Inferiore, and is easily accessible from the Vesuvius area and the Sarno plain.
Hours and costs
- Evening event, with stalls opening in the early evening and closing late at night.
- Free admission to the festival area.
- Dishes and drinks are paid for via tickets purchased at the stalls, at affordable prices.
- A gluten-free stand and vegetarian options are available.
Tips
- Arrive early to avoid the longest lines at the parmigiana stalls.
- Check the date and times on the Mulignana Festival Facebook page and the channels of the Santa Maria delle Vergini parish, as the evening follows the movable calendar of the patronal feast.
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Where does it take place — Mulignana Festival
Piazza Vittorio Veneto
Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 84018 Scafati