Polenta Festival of Guzzanica

Polenta is the star in Guzzanica

In Guzzanica, a hamlet in the Municipality of Dalmine (Province of Bergamo), the Polenta Festival is a fixed event at the end of winter. The village oratory is transformed into a large dining hall where Bergamo polenta is the undisputed queen, offered in all its traditional variations.

The traditional menu

The menu revolves around the classics of Orobic cuisine: rustic polenta, polenta taragna (cornmeal and buckwheat flour with alpine butter), polenta carbonera, and polenta with braised meat. Polenta with mushrooms and other traditional main courses are also available. This is not a festival for Michelin-starred chefs: it's well-made Bergamo cuisine, abundant portions, and oratory prices.

A village atmosphere

Everything is prepared on-site, in covered and heated spaces: no outdoor tables in the March cold. The atmosphere recalls village festivals of the past, with volunteers at the stoves and families sitting side by side. It's the type of event that tells the convivial identity of the lower Bergamo area, where the oratory remains a meeting point for entire communities.

Where and when

The festival takes place in the Guzzanica oratory, along the Via Tre Venezie axis, easily accessible from Dalmine and neighboring municipalities. It is traditionally held on a weekend in March, with the kitchen opening every evening from 7:00 PM.