Santa Caterina Festival

The Santa Caterina Festival in Roverè della Luna

The Santa Caterina Festival is the most anticipated autumn event in Roverè della Luna, a small wine-growing town in the Piana Rotaliana, located in the far north of Trentino, bordering South Tyrol. The festival is dedicated to Saint Catherine of Alexandria, the local parish patron, and is traditionally held on the last Sunday of November, when the village transforms into a large open-air market for the day.

Stalls and markets in the historic center

From the early hours of the morning, from 8 am to 6 pm, the streets of the historic center, particularly Via Cesare Battisti, are filled with a long market of stalls: clothing, handicrafts, gift items, and food products. Piazza Unità d'Italia hosts the hobbyists' and artisans' market, where you can browse handmade creations and find small gift ideas for the upcoming Christmas season.

The flavors of the Piana Rotaliana

The gastronomic heart of the festival is the Pro Loco stand, which serves traditional specialties from noon onwards: pork sandwiches with sauerkraut, lucanica sausage with sauerkraut, goulash with potatoes, canederli dumplings, fries, and hot dishes, with vegetarian options available. In the early afternoon, the Rural Women prepare strauben, the typical spiral-shaped fritters of the Trentino-Tyrolean tradition. The table is never without wines and TrentoDOC sparkling wines from local wineries, starting with the historic Cantina Roverè della Luna, alongside beer, soft drinks, and mulled wine to warm up in the late November chill.

Entertainment, music, and charity

Throughout the day, there are live concerts, tastings, and entertainment. For children, there is face painting and games, while adults can try their luck at fun traditions like the lucky jar or the contest to guess the weight of the speck. A corner is dedicated to charity sweets, often prepared by the parish youth group, and in past editions, the festival has also hosted photography exhibitions and displays by local artists.

A community celebration

Organized by the Municipality of Roverè della Luna in collaboration with the Pro Loco and local associations, the Santa Caterina Festival is much more than a market: it is the celebration that closes the agricultural season and brings the entire Rotaliana community together. Admission is free, and the atmosphere is that of a genuine Trentino village, with the scent of mulled wine, chatter in the local dialect, and lights preparing the town for Christmas.