Summer Festival – Street Food

Four evenings of flavor in Piazza Vittorio Veneto

The Summer Festival – Street Food is the gastronomic event that brings Piazza Vittorio Veneto to life every mid-July in Aquara, a small town in the province of Salerno, Campania. The concept is all about street food: for four consecutive days, the town's main square fills with stalls dedicated to local delicacies, designed for visitors to enjoy while strolling through a dynamic and engaging setting. The municipal administration's goal is clear: to put local culinary excellence at the forefront and share it with those visiting from outside the area.

Aquara, a village 500 meters above the Calore Valley

Aquara has just over 1,200 inhabitants and sits at an altitude of approximately 500 meters on the slopes of the Alburni mountains. Its panoramic position overlooks the Calore Valley, offering views that, on clear days, reach as far as Capri. The municipal territory is partly located within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park and falls within the production area of the Colline Salernitane PDO extra virgin olive oil. In the heart of the village stands the feudal castle, built between 1190 and 1230; it has hosted various feudal lords over the centuries and still bears the marks of the Spinelli family's rule. This is the backdrop for the festival: a compact village with squares and alleys where a four-day event is felt throughout the entire town.

What to expect

This is not a gathering of international food trucks, but a local village festival with a street food twist. The focus is on traditional specialties from the Calore Valley and the Alburni mountains, served in portions to be eaten on the go, with the square acting as a dining room. The evenings take place during the cooler hours, from late afternoon onwards, following the tradition of summer festivals in the Cilento hinterland.

• Four consecutive days of food stalls in the main square
• Local cuisine in a street-food format
• A village-scale event, suitable for families
• Open-air evening atmosphere with the village as a backdrop

Reach Aquara on two wheels

The festival is part of a broader strategy to promote the region. The municipality has launched the «Reach Aquara on 2 wheels» initiative, dedicated to cycling and motorcycle tourism. Welcome services are available every Saturday and Sunday between 10:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Those arriving by bike or motorcycle receive a small backpack containing local agricultural products, which can be collected at one of the village bars. It is a simple way to combine a gastronomic stop with a slow discovery of the scenic roads of the Alburni and to reward active, sustainable tourism.

The Aquara summer calendar

The Summer Festival – Street Food is not the only event in the Aquara summer. At the end of July, the town also hosts Radici, Arte e Sapori, a Pro Loco festival that combines tradition, music, dance, and local flavors over three evenings, featuring food and wine stands and street performers in the historic center's alleys. These two distinct yet complementary events create a very busy July for a village of just over a thousand inhabitants, becoming a key reason for visitors to explore the Cilento hinterland when the coast is at its most crowded.

Why it's worth the trip

Those who come to Aquara for the Summer Festival find what large urban events cannot offer: a square where everyone knows each other, products sourced from just a few dozen kilometers away, village-festival prices, and a view that makes the climb worthwhile. It is the perfect opportunity to combine a gastronomic evening with a day inside the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, exploring caves, trails, and other villages in the Calore Valley.