Peasant Dinner

A community table in the heart of Lavis

The Peasant Dinner is one of the most cherished and well-attended evenings in the calendar of Lavis, a town in the Piana Rotaliana in the Autonomous Province of Trento, in Trentino-Alto Adige. Organized by the Pro Loco of Lavis with the patronage of the Municipality, the dinner gathers the town around a single large open-air table, set up in the square of the Suore Canossiane, in the historic center.

The event was created to evoke an ancient farming custom: the moment when, after finishing field work and the grape harvest, rural families would gather to give thanks for the harvest and celebrate the end of the agricultural year together. It is a festival that speaks of rural identity, community, and a bond with the land—values that remain very much alive in a territory dedicated to viticulture like the Avisian hills.

Tradition and local associations

The strength of the Peasant Dinner lies in the collaboration between the local associations of Lavis. Alongside the Pro Loco, the Alpini Group works on the savory dishes cooked on-site, joined by the Rural Women and the Scout Group, together with local producers and merchants. It is this network of volunteers that gives the evening its authentic and familiar character.

The flavors of rural Trentino cuisine

The menu features traditional Trentino peasant dishes, with slight variations from year to year. Among the courses that have characterized past editions:

• a rustic welcome with bread, luganega sausage, local cheeses, capussi and fasoi (sauerkraut and beans);
• a traditional first course such as farmer's barley soup (orzotto) with Teroldego wine and sausage, or polenta with stew;
• a rural dessert, such as apple fritters;
• wines from the Avisian hills paired with the meal, sealing the viticultural vocation of the territory.

For the occasion, a menu is always provided for those with food intolerances, a sign of the organizers' commitment to welcoming everyone.

A convivial atmosphere under the stars

The evening, usually held at the end of summer, combines good food, local wine, and musical entertainment in a relaxed and convivial atmosphere that involves both young and old. Given the popularity of the event, seats are limited and registration is required through the Pro Loco of Lavis channels. The Peasant Dinner remains one of the events that best captures the spirit of Lavis and the Piana Rotaliana: an invitation to sit at the same table to rediscover the flavors and customs of the Trentino countryside.