# Sagra della Manna in Pollina

> Pollina's Sagra della Manna celebrates the sap of hand-cut ash trees: in August, ash grove tours, the Manna Museum, a 3-euro manna menu and flag-wavers.

- Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-manna-pollina/
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/eventi/sagra-della-manna-pollina.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/eventos/sagra-della-manna-pollina.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/evenements/sagra-della-manna-fete-de-la-manne-pollina.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/veranstaltungen/sagra-della-manna-pollina.md)

## At a glance

| | |
|---|---|
| 2026 edition | 13 August 2026 |
| Where | Pollina: Piazza Maddalena (parade), Teatro Pietra Rosa, Viale Alfredo Musotto (stalls), Museo della Manna, ash groves, [Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/) |
| Category | Food festival |
| Recurrence | Every year, August: ash grove tours over a few days and the festival on one day (13 August in 2026) |
| Organiser | Comune di Pollina con il Circolo Cacciatori Pollina |
| Price | Tasting menu with a 3-euro ticket (2026 edition); ash grove tours by booking |
| Source | https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/08/05/pollina-celebra-la-manna-il-13-agosto-torna-la-storica-sagra-con-degustazioni-folklore-e-notte-bianca/ (checked on 2026-10-19) |

## Programme

39th edition. From 10 to 13 August at 10 am, guided tours of the ash groves by booking, with free manna samples, and the Manna Museum open 9 am-1 pm and 4-9 pm. On 13 August, the Nobles' parade with flag-wavers at 5:30 pm, show at the Teatro Pietra Rosa at 7 pm, stalls with a 3-euro menu from 7:45 pm and Notte Bianca at 10:30 pm.

The Sagra della Manna is Pollina's festival of manna, the sap of ash trees still harvested by cutting the bark by hand. For a few days in August you can tour the ash groves with a guide and visit the Manna Museum; on the evening of the festival there's a parade with flag-wavers, stalls with a 3-euro manna menu and the Notte Bianca at the Teatro Pietra Rosa. The 39th edition was held on 13 August 2026.

## When is it held?

The festival itself lasts one day, in August. In 2026 it was on Thursday 13 August, preceded by ash grove tours from 10 to 13 August.

| Year | Edition | Festival | Ash grove tours |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 39th | Thursday 13 August | 10-13 August, 10 am |

## What is manna?

Pollina and Castelbuono are the last two towns where manna ash is grown. According to the [Slow Food Madonie Manna Presidium](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/manna-delle-madonie/), ash groves once spread over thousands of hectares in north-western Sicily; today they cover about 250 hectares, and only 20-30% of the trees still produce.

In summer the harvesters, the 'ntaccaluòri, cut the bark with a tool called the mannaruòlu. A bluish, resinous substance seeps out and hardens in the sun into whitish stalactites. Manna that drips as a stalactite without touching the bark is the purest, known as cannolo manna; what's scraped off the trunk with the rasula has more impurities. For more, read our article on [Castelbuono manna](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/magazine/castelbuono-manna-ash-tree-crystal/).

## The 2026 programme

| When | What and where |
|---|---|
| 10-13 August, 10 am | Guided tours of the ash groves by booking, with free cannolo manna samples |
| 10-13 August | Manna Museum open 9 am-1 pm and 4-9 pm |
| 13 August, 5:30 pm | Nobles' parade from Piazza Maddalena with the Civitas Costantissima flag-wavers of Nicosia and the I Saracini folk group from Finale |
| 13 August, 7 pm | Flag-wavers and folk group at the Teatro Pietra Rosa |
| 13 August, 7:45 pm | Stalls open on Viale Alfredo Musotto |
| 13 August, 10:30 pm | Notte Bianca at the Teatro Pietra Rosa with Big Reunion |

The programme was part of Pollina's summer calendar, under the patronage of the Sicilian Region and in collaboration with the Fiasconaro brand ([Balarm](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/una-festa-di-tradizioni-cultura-e-sapori-sulle-madonie-la-sagra-della-manna-a-pollina-147784)).

## What to eat

The 3-euro ticket in 2026 got you pasta with tomato sauce, manna crumbs and almonds, a sausage roll and watermelon. The stalls also offered new manna products: Cristalli di Manna craft beer, Palma alla Manna gin and manna ice cream from the Bar Sant'Antonio.

Manna is a natural sweetener low in glucose and fructose, used in pastry-making for centuries; Slow Food also credits it with cleansing and mildly laxative properties.

## Practical tips

- **Book the ash grove tour** as soon as the programme is out: it's the best way to see the trees being cut.
- **The Teatro Pietra Rosa** hosts both the evening flag-waving show and the Notte Bianca, and it's one of the sights of Pollina.
- **Road.** Pollina sits at 730 metres; from the A20 motorway take the Pollina-Castelbuono exit (see [getting to the Madonie by car](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/roads/)). Sources don't list dedicated car parks.
- **Sleeping and eating.** See [where to stay in Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/where-to-stay/) and [where to eat in Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/where-to-eat/); the [Pollina weather](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/pollina/) tells you what to expect in the evening.

In summer Pollina also hosts the [Valdemone Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/valdemone-festival/) of street theatre, in late July; in November the hamlet of Finale holds the [Sagra dell'Ulivo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-dell-ulivo-olive-festival-finale-di-pollina/). The rest of the town is on the [Pollina page](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/), other festivals in the [Madonie food festival calendar](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/food-festivals/).

## Frequently asked questions

### When is the Sagra della Manna in Pollina?

In 2026 the 39th Sagra della Manna took place on Thursday 13 August, with guided tours of the ash groves on the four days before, from 10 to 13 August. The town of Pollina, which organises it with the Circolo Cacciatori Pollina, has not yet announced the date of the next edition.

### What is Pollina manna?

It's the sap of ash trees: in summer, growers cut the bark and a substance seeps out that hardens in the sun into white stalactites. According to Slow Food, manna ash groves now cover about 250 hectares, only in Pollina and Castelbuono. Cannolo manna, which never touches the bark, is the purest.

### How much does the festival menu cost?

In 2026 the tasting ticket cost 3 euros and included pasta with tomato sauce, manna crumbs and almonds, a sausage roll and watermelon. The stalls also sold Cristalli di Manna craft beer, Palma alla Manna gin and, at the Bar Sant'Antonio, manna ice cream.

### How do I book the ash grove tours?

In 2026 the guided tours of the ash groves, from 10 to 13 August at 10 am, were booked by WhatsApp or through the link given by the town of Pollina on its Facebook page. During the tour you see the trees being cut and receive free samples of cannolo manna.

### Is the Manna Museum open during the festival?

During the 2026 festival days the Museo della Manna in Pollina was open from 9 am to 1 pm and from 4 to 9 pm. It covers the history of manna, cutting techniques and the traditional tools of the harvesters, known as 'ntaccaluòri.

### What happens on the evening of the festival?

In 2026 the afternoon of 13 August began at 5:30 pm with the Nobles' parade from Piazza Maddalena, with flag-wavers from Nicosia and the I Saracini folk group from Finale. After the stalls opened, at 10:30 pm, came the Notte Bianca at the Teatro Pietra Rosa with Big Reunion.

## Sources

- [Madonie Press, 39ª Sagra della Manna (2026)](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/08/05/pollina-celebra-la-manna-il-13-agosto-torna-la-storica-sagra-con-degustazioni-folklore-e-notte-bianca/)
- [Balarm, Sagra della Manna 2026](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/una-festa-di-tradizioni-cultura-e-sapori-sulle-madonie-la-sagra-della-manna-a-pollina-147784)
- [Fondazione Slow Food, Presidio Manna delle Madonie](https://www.fondazioneslowfood.com/it/presidi-slow-food/manna-delle-madonie/)

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Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-manna-pollina/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.