UFIFEST Sicily

UFIFEST Sicily: the island's folklore on stage in Lercara Friddi

Every summer, in the month of August, Lercara Friddi — a town in the hinterland of the Palermo province, located along the historic Palermo-Agrigento route — becomes the stage for UFIFEST Sicily, the regional folklore festival dedicated to Sicilian identity. The event stems from the desire of the Italian Folkloric Union (UFI) to foster a dialogue between popular roots, history, and traditional culture with modern society, and to pass this heritage on to younger generations.

Pageants, folk groups, and performances

The heart of the festival is the grand parade of folk groups through the town streets: dozens of ensembles — both Sicilian and international — march in traditional costumes, featuring dances, songs, folk music, and flag-wavers, before performing at the gala evening in Piazza Duomo. Historical pageants, period attire, ancient musical instruments, and dialect poetry complete a program that is both a spectacle and a guardian of collective memory.

Tradition and gastronomy

Alongside the performances, UFIFEST Sicily celebrates local flavors with food and wine events, show-cooking, and tastings that highlight Sicilian cuisine and the island's typical products. The festival thus unites the three souls of a village feast: music, folk dance, and the table.

A celebration for the community

Artistically directed by Professor Gianni Contino and organized by the A.P.S. "I giovani del castello" of Vicari in collaboration with the Municipality of Lercara Friddi, the event involves the entire community and attracts visitors from across the Palermo province and all of Sicily. It is an opportunity to rediscover the island's identity through folklore, in a festive atmosphere that enlivens the historic center for several days.

In just a few editions, UFIFEST Sicily has established itself as a benchmark for folklore in the Palermo hinterland, capable of attracting groups from all over Italy and abroad while restoring centrality to Sicilian popular traditions.