Wheat Festival at MEET

A festival that opens Santarcangelo's summer

The Wheat Festival at MEET is the event that inaugurates the summer season of events in Santarcangelo di Romagna every year, in the heart of Emilia-Romagna and the province of Rimini. The event takes place in the spaces of the MEET – Ethnographic Museum Park of Santarcangelo, on Via Montevecchi, a place that preserves the memory of Romagnola peasant civilization and which for one day comes alive again around the ancient act of bread making.

Wheat, bread, and peasant civilization

The festival was created to celebrate the deep bond between the Romagnola community and wheat, a symbol of abundance and shared work. Through workshops, practical demonstrations, and in-depth discussions, visitors rediscover the various stages that lead from grain to loaf: milling, kneading, leavening, and collective baking. It is a journey that intertwines gastronomy, history, and popular traditions, restoring dignity and relevance to knowledge that is too often taken for granted.

Workshops, round tables, and demonstrations

The program alternates practical experiences and cultural moments. It begins in the afternoon with a natural bread-making workshop, which guides participants from kneading to collective baking, followed by the presentation of books dedicated to hydraulic mills and the history of water mills in lower Romagna. The heart of the day is the round table on bread, ovens, and ancient grains, which brings together bakers, researchers, and local producers. In the late afternoon, the wheat milling and bread baking demonstration comes to life, a spectacular and convivial moment.

Folk music and costume dances

In the evening, the festival concludes with music: the concert by the Scuola di Musica Faini features Romagnola folk melodies, accompanied by the costume dances of the Gruppo Malpassi of Ravenna, which revive traditional peasant dances. It is the most participatory moment, where the audience, musicians, and dancers share the same space and the same joy.

An authentic atmosphere

The Wheat Festival at MEET is not a tourist attraction but an event rooted in local identity, designed for families, the curious, and enthusiasts of material culture. The catering service, managed by local businesses, completes the day with simple and genuine dishes. It is an ideal opportunity to discover Santarcangelo, one of the most fascinating villages in Romagna, and its Ethnographic Museum, in a setting that values landscape, memory, and conviviality.