Mushroom Exhibition and Festival

A festival dedicated to the king of the Nebrodi woods

The Mushroom Exhibition and Festival in Ucria is one of the most cherished autumn events in the Nebrodi area, in the heart of the Messina province, Sicily. Every year, on the last weekend of October, this small mountain town opens its streets and squares to celebrate the mushroom, a spontaneous fruit of the oak and chestnut forests that surround the village.

A land rich in water and woods

Ucria is located in a particularly fertile area: a territory rich in water, woods, oak groves, and chestnut forests, where porcini mushrooms are considered a true rarity. This natural wealth gave rise, starting in 1995, to the initiative promoted by the "P. Bernardino" Mycological Naturalistic Association, which has since provided constant educational and awareness-raising activities regarding the vast world of mushrooms, with a focus on the systematic, biochemical, toxicological, and sanitary study of various species.

Mycological exhibition and activities

The scientific heart of the event is the "Nebrodi Mushrooms" mycological exhibition, usually set up in the Council Chamber, where numerous species collected in the area are displayed and explained, alongside typical mountain fruits and vegetables. Many initiatives revolve around the exhibition:

• excursions and urban trekking paths to discover Ucria and its surroundings;
• conferences, study courses, and guided tours dedicated to mushroom identification;
• competitions aimed at schools, such as the "Fungolandia" drawing contest;
• stalls from local farmers and producers with typical local products.

Tastings and the autumn dinner

The most anticipated moment remains the gastronomic one: along Via Gaetano Algeri and the streets of the center, food and wine stalls are set up where you can taste dishes based on Nebrodi mushrooms, from porcini to honey mushrooms, accompanied by traditional Sicilian mountain products. The day concludes with a grand tasting and an autumn dinner that draws visitors from across the entire province of Messina.

Nature, gastronomy, and folklore

The Ucria Mushroom Festival is not just a feast for the palate: it is also an opportunity to discover an authentic village in the Nebrodi, immersed in a landscape of woods and chestnut groves, and to experience the atmosphere of the Sicilian autumn amidst folklore, music, and street entertainment. An event that unites outreach, popular tradition, and hospitality, highlighting a unique natural and gastronomic heritage of the town of Ucria.