Quisquina Cheese Festival - Quisquina Cheese and Local Products Festival

A festival dedicated to the cheeses of the Sicani Mountains

The Quisquina Cheese and Local Products Festival, now also promoted as the Quisquina Cheese Festival, is one of the most cherished events in Santo Stefano Quisquina, a village in the Sicani Mountains in the province of Agrigento, in the heart of Sicily. For over twenty years, at the end of May, the town has transformed its historic center into a grand culinary journey dedicated to local dairy products, renowned for centuries for their intense aromas and unmistakable scents derived from the use of the territory's spring waters.

The star cheeses

The heart of the festival lies in the traditional cheeses of Santo Stefano, the result of ancient knowledge passed down through generations. Among the stalls in the historic center, visitors can taste and purchase:

• Pecorino Sicilian cheese with a bold flavor
• Ricotta, both fresh and oven-baked
• Tuma and primosale
• Aged caciocavallo
• Quagliata, prepared and tasted live during shepherd demonstrations

Alongside the cheeses, there is space for artisanal sweets, baked goods, and other gastronomic delights from the Sicani Mountains.

Tastings, workshops, and cooking shows

The event is not just a product showcase but an experiential journey: taste workshops and guided tastings with industry experts, demonstrations of milk transformation into quagliata and ricotta, and cooking shows featuring prominent chefs and pastry chefs. Recent editions have hosted a cooking show by Valeria Raciti, winner of MasterChef Italia, and spectacular preparations like the giant ricotta cake.

Music, folklore, and village tours

The two days are enlivened by music and folklore: the Tamburi della Quisquina lead parades through the village streets, while groups like Sikania Folk and traveling bands accompany visitors among the stalls. In the evening, there is space for singer-songwriter music and cabaret. During the festival, guided tours of the village and sites linked to Saint Rosalia—the convent, the sanctuary, and the hermitage of Quisquina, a pilgrimage destination—are organized by the Pro Loco and young guides from the local school.

A local event

Organized by the Municipality of Santo Stefano Quisquina with the Pro Loco and local associations, the festival is sponsored by the regional Department of Tourism and the regional Department of Agriculture. Access is free and open to all: the event is a true community celebration that highlights the identity, hospitality, and products of the Agrigento hinterland, attracting a large number of visitors every year.