Polpette in Festa

A mountain festival overlooking the Coast

Polpette in Festa is the gastronomic event that brings Santa Maria del Castello to life every August. Located in one of the highest hamlets in the municipality of Vico Equense, in the province of Naples, Campania, this small village clings to the ridge of the Lattari Mountains at an altitude of about 670 meters. On one side, the view stretches toward Mount Faito and the gulf, while on the other, the cliff drops down toward Positano and the Amalfi Coast. It is one of the most striking panoramic balconies on the Sorrento Peninsula, and for three evenings, it transforms into a large open-air kitchen.

The meatball: a humble dish of peasant tradition

The event was created to showcase local products and recipes rooted in the local meatball tradition, considered here a staple of mountain peasant cuisine rather than a simple deli specialty. In the hillside hamlets of Vico Equense, the meatball has always been a way to avoid waste and make the most of what the garden and pantry offer: this simple yet flavorful cuisine is the heart of the entire festival.

Each hamlet brings its own version to the table, and the comparison between the recipes of the different districts is one of the elements that have made the event popular: traditional recipes and creative reinterpretations appear year after year on the stalls set up in the small square and along the village streets.

Three evenings of stalls, music, and walks

The format is the tried-and-tested village festival style, with food stalls opening at 7:00 PM and evenings continuing late into the night:

• Tastings of meatballs in numerous variations and other local specialties at the stalls set up in the village;
• Live music and artistic entertainment every evening in the square of Santa Maria del Castello;
• Guided panoramic walks to discover the village, the trails, and the viewpoints overlooking the Coast;
• Promotion of local products from the Vico hinterland, an agricultural area also known for the Provolone del Monaco cheese.

An event that has grown edition after edition

In 2024, local press covered the 5th edition, held from August 18th to 20th; the 2025 edition, from August 17th to 19th, was presented as the sixth edition. In the early years, the heart of the festival was a meatball competition between the local hamlets, with an awards ceremony in Santa Maria del Castello: the second edition in late July 2019 awarded Faito, Fornacelle, and Arola in that order. Over time, the format expanded to the three consecutive evenings in mid-August.

Who organizes the event

Polpette in Festa is promoted by the La Punta del Vento APS Association, a local organization that has been managing the hamlet's events for years, with the patronage of the Municipality of Vico Equense. The event is part of the municipal summer program Vico d'Estate, a festival that distributes concerts, theatrical performances, excursions, and food festivals between the historic center, Mount Faito, and the hamlets from late May to mid-September.

The 2026 edition

The official 2026 Vico d'Estate program, presented by the Municipality in late May and picked up by local press, places Polpette in Festa on August 17, 18, and 19, 2026, from 7:00 PM, at the Santa Maria del Castello hamlet, presenting it as a "food and wine event to promote local products." One press report of the program indicated August 16, 17, and 18 instead: the dates listed here are those confirmed by most sources citing the municipal program, but checking official channels before traveling is recommended. The municipal program also refers to a "separate program": the details of the evenings, including musical appointments and side events, are released by the organizing association in the days immediately preceding the event.

What's around in August

Those who climb to Santa Maria del Castello in mid-August will find a territory in the middle of festival season: the municipal program includes, among others, the Riavulillo Festival in Arola (August 2-4) and the Potato Festival in Moiano (August 24-26), two other hillside hamlets of Vico Equense.

Why it's worth the climb

More than just a food festival, Polpette in Festa is an opportunity to get to know a side of Vico Equense different from the seaside: that of the high hamlets, the trails, and the panoramas that open up suddenly over the sea of Positano. It is best to arrive while it is still light and sit at the stalls as the sun sets over the Coast.