Vallesaccarda Ecological Day

A day the village looks forward to all year

The Vallesaccarda Ecological Day has been, for over thirty years, the most popular event of the summer in this small town in the province of Avellino, in Campania. Established in the early nineties by local youth, it reached its thirty-fourth edition in 2025: a rare milestone for a grassroots event that has grown to involve entire families, groups of friends, and visitors from neighboring towns in the Baronia region.

It is neither a food festival nor a concert. It is a day of community built around a simple idea: you protect the environment by getting to know it, walking through it, and taking care of it together. This is why the event manages every year to bring children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly onto the same path, in a moment of social connection and integration that goes far beyond simple ecological awareness.

Gathering at Piazza Michele Addesa

Everything starts in the morning at Piazza Michele Addesa, in the heart of the village. Participants are given the edition's t-shirt and cap, which feature different colors and designs each year—a detail that has become a small collective ritual, so much so that many families keep the shirts from past editions like a photo album. Before setting off, the group photo that officially opens the day is taken.

The ecological walk along the Baronia trails

The heart of the event is the ecological walk, a nature trail of about 3.5 kilometers that follows the paths of the 'Boschi, Sorgenti e Geositi della Baronia' SPA, the protected area that safeguards the woods, springs, and geological formations of this corner of eastern Irpinia. The pace is deliberately slow and accessible to everyone, ensuring no one is left behind.

• Route of approximately 3.5 km, suitable for all ages
• Trails of the 'Boschi, Sorgenti e Geositi della Baronia' SPA
• Intermediate stop with water and seasonal fruit
• Arrival at the Fiumarella di San Giuseppe river area

The Fiumarella, the green heart of the day

The walk concludes at Fiumarella di San Giuseppe, the river area that the people of Vallesaccarda consider their own natural garden. A picnic area is set up here, and lunch is provided for all participants. The afternoon then unfolds with games and activities for children, horse riding, walks along the stream, and musical moments featuring bands and singers who liven up the meadow until sunset.

A plastic-free event

The Ecological Day doesn't just talk about the environment; it tries to set an example. Lunch and breaks are served with plastic-free tableware, a choice designed primarily to teach children and teenagers about sustainable daily habits. The initiative is supported by the local WWF group, which has accompanied the growth of the event over the years.

The evening: gastronomy and cinema under the stars

At sunset, the festivities return to the village. The evening combines local cuisine with outdoor screenings: in the August 13, 2025 edition, the program included tastings and cinema under the stars in Piazza Michele Addesa starting at 8:30 PM, with a selection designed for both children and adults. It is the most natural way to end a day that began at dawn with hiking boots on.

Organizers

The event is organized by the Vallesaccarda Youth Forum, in collaboration with the municipal administration. The Ecological Day is part of the summer program of the Municipality of Vallesaccarda, which offers sports tournaments, patronal feasts, concerts, and culinary events between July and August. Within this calendar, however, the mid-August walk remains the defining event, the one that expatriate residents choose for their return home.

Vallesaccarda and eastern Irpinia

Vallesaccarda is located in the Baronia, at the eastern edge of the province of Avellino, in an inland Campania made of ridges, woods, and springs that bears little resemblance to the coastal image of the region. It is a territory where summer festivals still play a precise social function: keeping a small community together and bringing back those who have left for a few weeks. The Ecological Day is the most successful expression of this function, as it focuses on the landscape that the community inhabits.