Popolarissima della Balorda

A bike festival over thirty years in the making

Popolarissima della Balorda is one of the most beloved and original events in the Bassa modenese. Organized by the Comitatissimo della Balorda, it takes place every year in late spring in the hamlet of Sozzigalli, in the Municipality of Soliera (Province of Modena, Emilia-Romagna). Founded in the mid-nineties, La Balorda celebrated its thirtieth anniversary in 2025, confirming itself as an identity-defining event for the territory between Soliera and Carpi.

Not a race, but a cycle-folkloric festival

La Balorda is not a competition: it's a non-competitive masked bike ride, a true "cycle-folkloric-musical-cultural" festival. Each edition has a different theme, and participants are invited to come in costume and with creatively decorated bicycles. Over the years, themes have ranged from Japan to comics, from robots to cinema, from the circus to cruises. Participation, with registration, usually includes drinks, refreshment stops along the route, an official t-shirt, and a reusable cup, in line with the zero-waste philosophy that uses exclusively compostable tableware.

The route and the stops

The meeting point is at the Civic Center of Sozzigalli, in via Carpi Ravarino, with registration from the morning and the bike tour starting in the early afternoon. Along the route, immersed in the countryside of the Modenese plain between embankments and headlands, there are refreshment points and ritual moments that have become tradition, such as the ceremony of tuna, beans, and onion and the distribution of the so-called "ration K".

Music, DJ sets, and gastronomy

The musical part is the beating heart of the festival: live bands and resident DJs take turns on stage, animating the day until the evening. The gastronomic offer, curated by the volunteers of the Sozzigalli Circle, features the classics of Emilian festival cuisine, such as piadine, gnocco fritto, and a selection of first and second courses.

A self-managed and community event

More than a sporting event, La Balorda is a collective ritual: self-managed, supportive, and rooted in the community of Sozzigalli and Soliera. Over the years, it has attracted over 1,500 participants per edition, becoming a symbol of high spirits and civic engagement for the entire area between Modena and Carpi. Those looking for a different kind of day, made of bicycles, masks, music, and good Emilian food, will find La Balorda a unique event in the panorama of folk festivals in Emilia-Romagna.