San Michele Festival

A festival born from the village porticoes

The San Michele Festival is the signature event of Telve, a village in the lower Valsugana valley in the province of Trento, nestled at the foot of the Lagorai mountain range. Dedicated to Saint Michael the Archangel, the patron saint associated with the lives of the area's ancient rural communities (whose feast day falls on September 29th), the festival takes place every year towards the end of September, transforming the entire historic center into a vast open-air itinerary through the village's porticoes, courtyards, gardens, and alleys.

The event was founded in 2003 from an idea by Silvano Berti, then president of the Telve Oratory: to bring together tastings prepared by local associations and exhibitions by local artists. From just a few covered corners, the festival has gradually expanded to cover much of the town, becoming one of the most well-known events in Valsugana.

The culinary journey

The heart of the festival is the taste trail: around thirty stations scattered among the village's porticoes and courtyards, managed by volunteer associations. Here, you can sample local products—Lagorai mountain cheeses, cured meats, honey, and small fruits—as well as traditional Trentino dishes such as gulaschsuppe, tripe, pasta de luganeghe, tosella cheese, polenta with venison, and the famous tonco de ponteselo. There is no shortage of desserts, from strauben to strudel. A special pass for tastings can be collected at the village entrances.

Farmers' market, art, and traditions

The farmers' market is held in Piazza Maggiore, where producers sell their zero-mile specialties directly. Along the route, you will find exhibitions by painters, wood sculptors, photographers, and collectors, as well as demonstrations by artisans revealing the secrets of basket weaving, shingle making, and embroidery. The Museum of Customs and Traditions and the municipal library also open for the occasion, while the folk band, choirs, and local musical groups bring the streets of the center to life. Ample space is dedicated to families and children, so much so that the event has been awarded the Family in Trentino label.

A community gathering

Organized by the San Michele Committee—a group of about fifteen volunteers who have managed the logistics and organization since 2010—together with Telve's associations, the Municipality, and the support of local entities such as the Cassa Rurale Valsugana e Tesino and the Valsugana Tourism Board, the festival attracts over four thousand people every year. It is much more than just a food festival: it is how an entire Trentino village shares its flavors, its crafts, and its history.