Ploughing Festival - Cogruzzo in Celebration

A festival that tells the story of the Reggiana countryside

The Ploughing Festival is the most cherished event in Cogruzzo, a small hamlet in the Municipality of Castelnovo di Sotto, in the heart of the Bassa Reggiana, in the province of Reggio Emilia (Emilia-Romagna). Born from the passion of the village inhabitants, this festival has grown edition after edition to become one of the most recognizable summer events in the area, capable of attracting visitors from the entire province and beyond. The event's name itself recalls the ancient act of ploughing, a symbol of the deep bond between this community and its land.

Ploughing and vintage agricultural machinery

The heart of the festival is the ploughing demonstration with historic agricultural machinery: vintage tractors, old steam engines, and the famous Landini hot-head engines, carefully restored and restarted for the occasion. It is a true open-air museum, where enthusiasts and collectors show the public how the land was worked before modern mechanization. Sunday is the main day, with morning ploughing in the fields and the gathering of tractor drivers, while in past editions there have also been very evocative night demonstrations.

The cuisine of the Emilian tradition

The food stands are one of the main reasons why the festival is so eagerly awaited. The kitchen opens every evening and offers the great classics of the Reggiana table: green tortelli, gramigna with sausage, fried gnocco, prosciutto and melon, grilled meats, and other local specialties, all washed down with the inevitable Lambrusco. In the early evening, you can also enjoy aperitifs with prosecco and spritz, in a convivial and family atmosphere.

Music, dialect theatre, and games

The evenings in Cogruzzo come alive with live concerts, DJ sets, and dance nights, while one evening is traditionally dedicated to dialect comedy, with local actors staging plays in the Reggiano dialect. For children, workshops, games, and entertainment shows are organized, so that the festival can be enjoyed by the whole family.

A festival with a charitable purpose

The Ploughing Festival is organized by the Associazione Cogruzzo in Festa - Testa Calda (Cogruzzo in Celebration Association - Hot Head), which has united volunteers from the hamlet for years. In addition to entertainment, the event often has a charitable dimension: in the past, the prize draws collected during the festival have been donated to local associations, such as Giocamico, active at the Parma hospital. An example of how a small community in the province of Reggio Emilia knows how to transform its village festival into a moment of solidarity.