San Germano Country Festival

The San Germano Country Festival in Cavallirio

In the heart of summer, the small town of Cavallirio, located in the Upper Novara region near the Vercelli border, gathers for its most cherished event: the San Germano Country Festival. The festival takes place in the picturesque San Germano area, a rural spot on the outskirts of the town where the small church dedicated to the saint stands. For decades, the Pro Loco Cavallirio Tourist Association has set up a large pavilion here, which becomes a meeting point for the entire community and neighboring towns for several evenings.

A half-century-old tradition

The San Germano Festival is one of the most deep-rooted events in the summer calendar of the Province of Novara. In 2025, the festival celebrated its fiftieth anniversary, proving how integral this country fair is to Cavallirio's identity. Originally born as a moment of devotion linked to the saint and the village's agricultural life, it has evolved into a major popular festival that retains its authentic spirit, far from the typical tourist circuits.

Traditional cuisine and dance nights

The heart of the festival is the cuisine: every evening, starting at 7:30 PM, the pavilion serves traditional Novara and Piedmontese dishes, from tapulone to polenta, along with classic country-style recipes. On certain days, usually Sundays and Tuesdays, lunch is also served by reservation starting at 12:30 PM. After dinner, the evenings continue with ballroom dancing, featuring live orchestras that keep the stage lively until late, a tradition very dear to the local public.

The Dialect Poetry Review

Among the most characteristic events of the festival is the Dialect Poetry Review, which has reached its thirtieth edition in recent years. On Sunday afternoon, starting at 3:00 PM, poets and enthusiasts gather to give voice to dialect compositions, preserving and enhancing the local linguistic heritage: a moment of great cultural value that makes the San Germano Festival not just a gastronomic event, but one deeply tied to the town's roots.

A village festival to experience

Simple, welcoming, and deeply communal, the San Germano Country Festival is the ideal opportunity to discover the authentic hospitality of rural Piedmont. Just a few kilometers from the hills of Gattinara and Boca, lands of great red wines, Cavallirio welcomes visitors with the conviviality of old-fashioned festivals, where you sit elbow-to-elbow at the table and end the evening on the dance floor.