Saluggia Bean Festival

A festival dedicated to the Saluggia dwarf bean

The Saluggia Bean Festival is the major autumn celebration that the Municipality of Saluggia, in the heart of the rice-growing plains of the Vercelli Province (Piedmont), dedicates to its most famous legume: the Saluggia dwarf bean. Cultivated for generations in the sandy soils along the Dora Baltea river, this small bean with its delicate flavor has been recognized as a Slow Food Ark of Taste product and is the essential ingredient that gives body and flavor to panissa vercellese, the iconic local dish made with rice, beans, and salam d'la duja.

Three days of taste and tradition

For an entire weekend, the historic center of Saluggia transforms into a grand village of taste. The heart of the event is the famous best panissa competition, where local Pro Loco associations challenge each other before a jury and the public. Alongside the gastronomic competition, stalls offer tastings, traditional rural dishes, and Piedmontese mixed fry, as well as typical sweets like gremola biscuits.

Markets, folklore, and activities for everyone

The festival is much more than just a food and wine event: the bean market and local agricultural produce stalls, craft exhibitors, and street vendors line the town's streets and squares. There is no shortage of moments dedicated to rural roots, with threshing re-enactments, a peasant pageant, and marching band parades. The bean train takes visitors on a discovery of the local hamlets and farmsteads.

An event designed for families

A large space is reserved for children, with cooking workshops, chalk art activities, shows, and entertainment. For sports enthusiasts, there are cycling tours through the rice fields and youth tournaments. The evenings are dedicated to live music, dancing, and conviviality, with dinners by reservation that fill the town squares.

A hallmark event of the Vercelli region

Organized by the Pro Loco Sant'Antonino di Saluggia with the support of the Municipality of Saluggia, the Bean Festival has become a highly anticipated autumn event in Piedmont, attracting visitors from across the Vercelli area and neighboring provinces. It is the perfect opportunity to rediscover a niche product, taste authentic panissa, and experience the genuine atmosphere of a village that takes pride in its agricultural heritage.