Porcini Mushroom Festival

A festival dedicated to the king of the Irpinian undergrowth

The Porcini Mushroom Festival is one of the most anticipated culinary events of the Montoro summer. It takes place in Sant'Eustachio, a hillside district of the municipality of Montoro, in the province of Avellino, in the heart of inland Campania. The stage is the Parco del Sole, a large, well-equipped green space that allows visitors to enjoy the event outdoors, away from traffic and immersed in the nature that surrounds the Irno valley and the mountains separating Irpinia from the Salerno area.

The idea driving the organizers is simple and clear: to promote Montoro's culinary heritage by meeting the growing demand for authenticity and tradition. The porcini mushroom, gathered in the chestnut and beech woods covering the hills around the village, is the common thread throughout the menu, featured in preparations that belong more to home cooking than to restaurant fare.

The menu: the porcini in all its forms

The food stalls are the heart of the festival and remain open every evening, with the addition of Sunday lunch. The offerings revolve around traditional Irpinian dishes revisited with porcini:

• Cortecce with porcini mushrooms, a local pasta shape
• Porcini mushroom risotto
• Scialatielli with porcini mushrooms and sausage
• Pork loin with porcini mushrooms
• Caciocavallo cheese grilled, also available with black truffle and porcini
• Sausage sandwich with sides
• Porcini mushroom fritters
• Wood-fired pizza
• Local desserts and DOC Irpinian wines

A significant portion of the menu is also available in a gluten-free version: this is a deliberate choice by the organizers, who have worked extensively in recent years on the festival's food accessibility, ensuring that no one has to miss out on the evening's main dish.

Live music and village atmosphere

Each evening is accompanied by live music, with a deliberately relaxed approach: no excessive volume or rowdiness, just a backdrop that complements an outdoor dinner and invites guests to linger even after dessert. Alongside the dining area, there is space for entertainment, performances, and small craft exhibitions that showcase local expertise.

The Parco del Sole also hosts a dedicated children's play area, with equipped spaces that make the event particularly suitable for families. It is one of the elements that explains the festival's success: you can arrive with little ones, dine at your leisure, and let them play safely just a few meters from the tables.

Montoro, the mushroom, and the woods of Irpinia

Montoro was established in 2013 from the merger of the municipalities of Montoro Superiore and Montoro Inferiore and is best known for its ramata onion, a local agricultural specialty. However, the town also has a woodland vocation: the wooded slopes rising toward the Picentini and Terminio mountains have always been a gathering ground for mushrooms and chestnuts, and local cuisine preserves the memory of this in dozens of recipes. The Porcini Mushroom Festival was born from this dual identity—agricultural and mountainous—and presents it to visitors in a popular and convivial format.

For those arriving from outside the region, the event is also a great starting point for discovering the food and wine of Irpinia: we are just a few kilometers from the production areas of Fiano di Avellino, Greco di Tufo, and Taurasi, the three great wines of the province, which regularly appear on the stalls' wine lists.

Why it's worth the trip

This is not a massive festival, but a community celebration that has grown year after year to become a benchmark for the entire area between Avellino and Salerno. Those looking for an authentic experience, with popular prices and food prepared on-site, will find here one of the most solid festivals of the Campanian summer. We recommend arriving early, especially on Saturday nights, when attendance is highest.