Nocellara Expo – Nocellara del Belice PDO Olive Oil and Olive Festival

A festival dedicated to the green gold of the Belìce

The Nocellara Expo, also known as the Nocellara del Belìce PDO Olive Oil and Olive Festival, is a food and wine event that brings Campobello di Mazara to life every autumn. Located in the province of Trapani, overlooking the Belìce Valley in western Sicily, the festival has quickly become a highly anticipated November tradition, coinciding with the peak of the olive harvest and pressing season.

The absolute star is the Nocellara del Belìce, the famous cultivar protected by the PDO designation, grown in the area between Campobello di Mazara, Castelvetrano, and Partanna. It is an olive with a dual soul: excellent as a table olive—fleshy and crunchy—and simultaneously the raw material for a fruity, fragrant extra virgin olive oil that serves as a symbol of this corner of Sicily's agricultural identity.

The gastronomic village on Via Garibaldi

The heart of the event is the gastronomic village set up along Via Garibaldi, in the historic town center. Here, dozens of local producers showcase the region's food excellence: extra virgin olive oil, table olives, preserves, bread, wine, and typical products. Visitors can stroll among the stands, meet local millers and farmers, and participate in numerous guided tastings.

• Tastings of extra virgin olive oil and Nocellara del Belìce olives
• Show cooking and culinary workshops dedicated to olive oil
• Street food and Sicilian culinary specialties
• Local crafts and a market of typical products

The TrenOlio and local tours

Among the most original initiatives is the TrenOlio, a completely free tourist train that takes visitors on a tour to discover the area, with stops at local oil mills and production facilities. The festival also offers guided tours of the main monuments in and around Campobello di Mazara, such as the Mother Church of Santa Maria al Presepe, the Clock Tower, the Museum of Peasant Civilization, and the evocative Cave di Cusa, the ancient stone quarry that supplied the temples of Selinunte.

Music, family, and culture

The days of the Nocellara Expo are filled with live music, local bands, street performers, and group dances, creating a festive atmosphere that involves the entire town. There is also a children's play area and opportunities for cultural enrichment, such as conferences dedicated to product promotion and food tourism in the Belìce Valley. The event is organized by the municipal administration of Campobello di Mazara with the support of the Arcadia Association, involving other municipalities in the district linked to the Nocellara cultivar.

An opportunity to discover Campobello di Mazara

Visiting the Nocellara Expo means discovering an authentic territory defined by centuries-old olive groves, farming traditions, and Sicilian hospitality. The festival is free to enter and represents an excellent opportunity to combine gastronomy, culture, and slow tourism in the province of Trapani.