San Marzano DOP Tomato Festival

The festival celebrating the red gold of the Sarno Valley

In the town of Striano, in the province of Naples, the month of September has been synonymous with the San Marzano DOP Tomato Festival for over twenty years. Organized by the Pro Loco Striano with the support of the local municipal administration and regional canning companies, the event pays homage to the most iconic product of the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese area: an elongated tomato with a vibrant red color and a characteristic bittersweet flavor, which is an essential ingredient in Campania for ragù, pizza, and homemade preserves.

Three evenings at the Public Gardens on Via Risorgimento

The heart of the festival is the Public Gardens on Via Risorgimento, which transform into a large open-air kitchen for three consecutive days. Stalls typically open around 7:30 PM and remain active until late, with tables set up among the trees and a tasting route designed for families, groups, and visitors. The 2025 edition, the twenty-second, took place from September 12th to 14th.

What to eat

The menu revolves entirely around the San Marzano DOP, featured in classic Campanian dishes:

• Spaghetti with San Marzano DOP tomato sauce and other traditional pasta dishes, such as spaghetti alla puttanesca and penne all'arrabbiata;
• Eggplant parmigiana and caponata with DOP buffalo mozzarella;
• Fried pizza, homemade fresella bread, and braciola with Neapolitan ragù;
• Local products such as artisanal pasta, extra virgin olive oil, and local craft beer.

Alongside ready-to-eat dishes, exhibitors offer preserves, purees, and jars of San Marzano tomatoes that tell the story of the tomato supply chain from field to table: it is the most direct way to understand why this variety is considered the pride of Campania.

Music, entertainment, and conviviality

Each evening is accompanied by live music: over the years, the stage has featured cover bands playing Neapolitan and Italian classics, DJ sets, dance performances, and cabaret acts with comedians from the local scene. While not a music festival in the strict sense, it provides that popular soundtrack that accompanies dinner at village festivals until late at night, with the audience relaxing at their tables between courses.

A festival tied to the short supply chain

The festival is more than just a gastronomic event. In 2025, the Pro Loco Striano APS, together with the associations Cittadinanza Attiva and Colibrì ABA, launched the social agriculture project "Impiantiamo," which involves young people and vulnerable individuals in cultivating San Marzano DOP tomatoes on donated land: the jars produced from that harvest then become the stars of the September festival. It is a concrete way to link the event to the local agricultural economy, social inclusion, and the promotion of the territory.

Striano, gateway to the Sarno Valley

Striano is a small town in the Metropolitan City of Naples, Campania, overlooking the Sarno plain between the Vesuvius area and the Agro Nocerino-Sarnese. It is this plain, with its volcanic soil, that gives the San Marzano tomato the qualities recognized by the Protected Designation of Origin. Attending the festival means tasting a product in the exact place where it is born, just a few kilometers from Pompeii, Sarno, and Mount Vesuvius: a stop that pairs perfectly with a day of archaeological visits in the area.

The 2026 edition

For 2026, the Pro Loco Striano is preparing the twenty-third edition, expected as usual in September at the Public Gardens on Via Risorgimento. However, the dates circulating on industry portals have not yet been confirmed by an official announcement: it is therefore advisable to check the program on the Pro Loco channels before traveling.