San Rocco Festival

A festival created to support the feast

The San Rocco Festival is a young event that has already become deeply rooted in the life of the town of Apice, in the Province of Benevento, in the heart of the Sannio region of Campania. The initiative was born from a group of collaborators at the Santa Maria Assunta and San Bartolomeo Parish with a goal clearly stated by the organizers: to self-fund the celebrations in honor of Santa Maria Assunta and San Rocco, which the community experiences every year in mid-August, and to support the parish's charitable works. This led to the simple and recognizable formula of the event: two evenings in the parish grounds, cooking entrusted to volunteers, local products, and danceable music.

The editions that built the tradition

In just a few years, the festival has become one of the most anticipated events of the Apice summer, with a calendar that has progressively shifted from the end of July to the days immediately preceding Ferragosto.

• Second edition: July 28 and 29, 2023, with a traditional menu and two evenings of music, ballroom dancing, and group dances.
• Third edition: July 26 and 27, 2024, which concluded with great success; the final evening featured the Marciatori per Assisi group, who enlivened the party with songs and dances.
• Fourth edition: August 12 and 13, 2025, focused on showcasing local, zero-mile products, with tastings, workshops, and entertainment on the eve of the August 14-16 festivities.

Traditional Sannio cuisine

The highlight of the festival is home-style cooking, prepared by parish volunteers. In past editions, the menu has featured caserecce with yellow cherry tomatoes and sausage, the ceculiata — a local specialty that also lends its name to other festivals in the Sannio area — accompanied by tomato salad, bread, and local wine. Alongside the full menu, food stalls have offered sausage and porchetta sandwiches, fried montanare, chips, draft beer, and soft drinks. The local pasta factory and various regional companies have supported the organization by providing raw materials, following a short supply chain logic that is one of the event's declared hallmarks.

Music, dancing, and conviviality

The evenings are not just about food: local musical groups accompany dinner with ballroom and group dances that involve audiences of all ages. The organizers have often described the festival as "a moment of meeting, sharing, and solidarity," inviting the people of Apice to bring family and friends. At the end of the third edition, Father Ezio Rotondi publicly thanked the volunteers, the Marciatori group, and the entire Apice community for their successful integration, already announcing the following edition.

Apice, the double town of the Calore Valley

Those who arrive for the festival discover a unique town. Apice has just over five thousand inhabitants and stretches over a territory of about 49 square kilometers, between 150 and 640 meters above sea level, crossed by three converging watercourses: the Calore Irpino, the Ufita, and the Miscano. The old town is located at 250 meters on the right bank of the Calore, while the modern town has grown on the opposite side, at 300 meters: after the two earthquakes of August 21, 1962, with an intensity of VI-VII on the Mercalli scale, the Ministry of Public Works ordered the evacuation of about 6,500 inhabitants, and the old village was progressively abandoned due to instability. The municipal territory includes nine districts — Santa Lucia, Alvino, San Martino, Cupazzo, Calvano, Morroni, San Lorenzo, Tignano, and San Donato — and the civic patron saint is Saint John the Baptist, celebrated on June 24, while the Marian and San Rocco solemnities mark the heart of the summer.

Why it is worth visiting

The San Rocco Festival is an example of a celebration that does not aim for large numbers but for authenticity: no massive stages, just long tables, hearty portions, and popular prices. For visitors traveling through the Sannio region in August, it is a direct way to connect with the life of a town in the Province of Benevento, amidst rural flavors and popular devotion, during the days when the entire community prepares for the festivities of the Assumption and San Rocco.

What we know about the 2026 edition

The dates for the new edition of the festival have not yet been published. However, the Santa Maria Assunta and San Bartolomeo Parish has announced that it is preparing to host the solemn liturgical celebrations in honor of Santa Maria Assunta and San Rocco in 2026 as well, referring to the official poster for the program: it is wise to wait for official announcements before planning your trip.