Red Eggplant Festival

A festival dedicated to a rare vegetable

The Red Eggplant Festival, also known as the Red Eggplant Tasting, takes place every year on August 13th in Piazza Duomo, in the heart of the historic center of Policastro Bussentino, a seaside hamlet of the Municipality of Santa Marina, in the province of Salerno, Southern Campania. It is one of the most anticipated events of the summer in the Gulf of Policastro: promoted by the Pro Loco Buxentum with the patronage of the Municipality of Santa Marina, it has drawn residents and vacationers to the square for years, making it one of the busiest evenings in mid-August.

The red eggplant, a signature product

The absolute star of the evening is the red eggplant, a vegetable native to tropical Africa and Asia that in Italy is cultivated almost exclusively in the territory of Santa Marina and in Rotonda, in the Mercure valley, in the province of Potenza. Its appearance surprises those who see it for the first time: its shape and color resemble a tomato more than an eggplant. The coloration depends on carotenes and is also the reason why it is the only eggplant that does not blacken after being cut, keeping its pulp white thanks to its low chlorogenic acid content. It is attributed with antioxidant and cholesterol-lowering properties, while in the kitchen it stands out for a more intense and slightly bolder taste compared to common varieties.

What to eat

Stands are set up along the square where the red eggplant is prepared and served in every course: appetizers, main courses, side dishes, and desserts are all based on the same vegetable, accompanied by local wine. Among the preparations that appear most regularly in recent editions:

• pasta with red eggplants, the signature dish of the tasting;
• ciambotta, the traditional vegetable stew from the Cilento region;
• marinated eggplants, preserved according to family methods;
• meat and eggplant meatballs;
• red eggplant cheesecake, the dessert that closes the evening and surprises visitors every year.

Music and atmosphere

The tasting is not just about gastronomy: the evening is enlivened by live music and folk songs, with groups from the Cilento and Lucanian traditions alternating in the square. In the 2025 edition, musical accompaniment was provided by the group Kalìmma, while in previous years the group AEDI performed. Drums, accordions, and tarantellas accompany the tastings until late at night, in an authentic village festival atmosphere.

Policastro Bussentino and its gulf

The village stands on the site of the ancient Greek Pyxous, which later became Buxentum in Roman times: that name also inspired the Pro Loco that organizes the festival. Today, Policastro Bussentino is the seaside hub of the Municipality of Santa Marina and gives its name to the entire Gulf of Policastro, the wide inlet that closes the Cilento coast to the south, bordering Basilicata. The Piazza Duomo, dominated by the cathedral, is the village's natural living room, and it is precisely here that the event's stands and stage are concentrated.

Why it's worth the trip

The Red Eggplant Festival is a rare case of a single-themed festival truly built around a local product that cannot be replicated elsewhere: those who arrive in Policastro on August 13th get to taste a vegetable they will hardly find on shelves in the rest of Italy. For those spending their holidays between Sapri, Vibonati, Santa Marina, and Scario, it is also an opportunity to discover the historic center of Policastro away from the beaches, in an evening that combines traditional cuisine, folk music, and conviviality.

The context: Cilento's summer festivals

The event is part of the dense calendar of festivals and patronal feasts that animate the province of Salerno between July and September. The fixed date of August 13th places the tasting on the eve of Ferragosto, when the Gulf of Policastro reaches its peak of tourist attendance: it is therefore advisable to arrive early in the square, both to find parking and to avoid the longest queues at the stands.