Zeppola Festival

A town festival on the sands of Positano

Between Boxing Day and New Year's Eve, when the Amalfi Coast sheds its summer crowds and returns to its locals, the Spiaggia Grande in Positano hosts the Zeppola Festival: two days where the whole town heads to the beach to fry, play, and socialize. Founded in 1981 by the local sports club, the event has become the most cherished winter appointment in the Municipality of Positano, in the Province of Salerno, and is one of the few events in Campania held by the sea in the heart of winter.

Positano's zeppole: potato and pasta cresciuta

The absolute star is the zeppola, which here is not the sweet treat associated with Saint Joseph, but rather the savory fritter of peasant and maritime tradition. Two types are prepared, both strictly by hand:

• Potato zeppole: a soft dough of boiled potatoes and flour, fried until golden and crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside.
• Pasta cresciuta zeppole: a long-leavened batter, puffy and light, served plain or enriched with local ingredients.

Alongside the zeppole, the stalls offer other Positano-style dishes and local products. Proceeds support the sports club's activities and community solidarity initiatives.

The «Zeppola d'oro», the most anticipated competition

The highlight is the «Zeppola d'oro» food competition, held on the evening of the first day. Local families and amateur cooks submit their trays by the deadline, and a popular jury awards prizes for the best potato and pasta cresciuta zeppole, with a special recognition for the most original presentation. It is a friendly but highly competitive event: in Positano, winning the Zeppola d'oro earns you a reputation that lasts all year.

Sports, games, and music on the beach

The festival is not just about food. Recent programs have featured:

• the beach soccer tournament that kicks off the event on the morning of December 28th;
• the match between the juniors and the veterans of San Vito Positano;
• traditional sand games: tug-of-war, sack races, and the boatman's race;
• inflatables, shows, and children's activities organized by the Youth Forum;
• live music, cabaret, and DJ sets until the evening, with food stalls opening at noon.

Organizers

The festival is managed by the A.S.D. San Vito Positano 1956, the town's historic sports club, created to provide youth in Positano with opportunities to practice sports, with the support of the Municipal Administration and the Youth Forum. Preparation involves dozens of volunteers in the weeks leading up to the event: setting up stalls on the beach, cleaning the sand, and preparing the dough. This collective effort, even more than the menu, explains the event's longevity.

Why it's worth the trip

Seeing Positano in winter, with its colorful houses cascading toward the sea and the beach filled with long tables and fryers, is a very different experience from the summer postcard of the Amalfi Coast. The Zeppola Festival is an authentically local celebration, with free entry and open to everyone, allowing visitors to experience the most genuine side of Campania when mass tourism is far away. Anyone on the coast between Christmas and New Year's will find no better opportunity to connect with the local community.