San Rocco Festival

The patronal feast of Cembra

The San Rocco Festival is the patronal event of the village of Cembra, the main town of the Cembra Lisignago municipality, in the heart of the Cembra Valley in the Province of Trento (Trentino-Alto Adige). San Rocco, invoked as the community's protector, is celebrated every year around August 16th, or on the weekend closest to this date. The event combines the religious significance of the occasion with a grand village festival that involves the entire population.

The Volunteer Fire Brigade, the soul of the festival

For years, the organization has been entrusted to the Cembra Volunteer Fire Brigade, which considers the San Rocco Festival its most important and heartfelt event. The volunteer firefighters not only manage the logistics, kitchen, and entertainment, but also experience the day as a moment of identity and gratitude toward the community. The festival is also an opportunity to strengthen ties with twinned brigades: the Cembra Fire Brigade has maintained a twinning since 1977 with the firefighters of the Slovenian town of Begunje, whose representatives have frequently taken part in the celebrations.

Program and traditions

The day follows a well-established schedule that alternates between the sacred and the secular:

• Holy mass and procession in the morning, with the participation of the Fire Brigade in uniform;
• Community lunch featuring traditional Trentino dishes, such as polenta accompanied by venison or beef stew, with a dedicated children's menu;
• Pompieropoli and games for the little ones, the true stars of the afternoon;
• Live music with local bands accompanying the festivities until evening;
• Pasta party in the late afternoon, with kitchen and bar service active throughout the day.

Cembra and the Cembra Valley

Nestled on the vine-cultivated terraces that define the landscape of the Cembra Valley, Cembra is known for its winemaking tradition and the dry-stone walls that shape its hillsides. The San Rocco Festival represents one of the most authentic moments of village life: a popular tradition that weaves together devotion, mountain gastronomy, community spirit, and the volunteer work of the firefighters. For those visiting Trentino in August, it is the ideal opportunity to discover a genuine village festival, far from the major tourist circuits.