# Madonie food festival calendar, season by season

> Madonie food festival (sagre) calendar by season: usual periods, villages and what you eat, from Scillato oranges to Polizzi hazelnuts and mushrooms.

- Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/food-festivals-calendar/
- Updated: 2026-10-19
- Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/sapori/sagre.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/gastronomia/calendario-de-fiestas-gastronomicas.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/saveurs/calendrier-des-fetes-gastronomiques.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/kulinarik/kalender-kulinarische-feste.md)

In the Madonie, food festivals (sagre) run from April to November, peaking in August, when almost every weekend a village celebrates its product: wheat, manna, hazelnuts, vastedda, salt. Spring starts with Isnello's vegetables, Scillato's oranges and San Mauro Castelverde's caciocavallo; autumn ends with mushrooms, olive oil and cheese. This is the calendar by season, with the usual periods and the dishes of each festival; this year's dates are on the list of [upcoming food festivals](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/food-festivals/).

**At a glance**

- **When**: from April to mid-November; August is the busiest month.
- **Where**: in almost every village of the Park, from the coast at Finale di Pollina to Petralia Soprana at 1,147 metres.
- **The longest-running**: Nocciole in Polizzi Generosa (69th edition in 2026), Spiga in Gangi (61st), Ulivo in Finale di Pollina (50th).
- **Dates**: usually announced a few days before; you'll find them on the list of [upcoming food festivals](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/food-festivals/), with source and date of check.

## Spring: oranges and caciocavallo

The season opens in April with wild vegetables and continues with the oranges of the Imera valley and mountain cheeses.

| Usual period | Festival | Town | The product |
|---|---|---|---|
| April, three days | [Festa delle Verdure Tradizionali e Antiche](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-delle-verdure-traditional-vegetables-isnello/) | Isnello | wild herbs and vegetables of the Madonie |
| early May, a weekend | [Sagra dell'Arancia](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-dell-arancia-orange-festival-scillato/) | Scillato | Biondo di Scillato, a late orange |
| end of May, three days | [Festa della Transumanza](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-della-transumanza-geraci-siculo/) | Geraci Siculo | cheese and shepherds' dishes |
| early June, three days | [Sagra del Caciocavallo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-del-caciocavallo-san-mauro-castelverde/) | San Mauro Castelverde | caciocavallo |

The Sagra dell'Arancia reached its 28th edition in 2026 and, besides tastings, offers visits to the water mills. The Sagra del Caciocavallo was at its 20th, with guided tastings and a cheese sculpture contest. For cheese, see the guide to [Madonie cheeses](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-cheeses/).

## Early summer: broad beans, wine, beer and ice cream

Between late June and July there are few festivals, but they are very different from one another.

| Usual period | Festival | Town | The product |
|---|---|---|---|
| end of June, three or four days | [DiVino Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/divino-festival-castelbuono/) | Castelbuono | wine, with tastings and masterclasses |
| 29 June | [Sagra delle Fave di San Pietro e Paolo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-delle-fave-broad-bean-festival-isnello/) | Isnello | broad beans, potatoes and onions |
| mid-July, three days | [Vucciria Beer Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/vucciria-beer-festival-geraci-siculo/) | Geraci Siculo | craft beers |
| end of July | [Festival del Gelato Madonita](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festival-del-gelato-madonita/) | Castellana Sicula | ice cream made with Madonie products |

The Sagra delle Fave has a fixed date and in 2026 reached its 47th edition. The dish, broad beans, potatoes and onions dressed with oil, vinegar and salt, is also in the guide to [traditional Madonie recipes](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/traditional-recipes/).

## August: the month of festivals

In August the calendar gets crowded. Here are the festivals in order of usual period.

| Usual period | Festival | Town | The product |
|---|---|---|---|
| first weekend | [Sagra del Grano](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-del-grano-di-pianello/) | Pianello (Petralia Soprana) | wheat, bread and fresh pasta |
| first half, nine days | [Sagra della Spiga e Corteo di Demetra](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-spiga-and-corteo-di-demetra-gangi/) | Gangi | the wheat cycle |
| mid-August (13 August in 2026), visits to the ash groves in the days before | [Sagra della Manna](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-manna-pollina/) | Pollina | manna |
| mid-August | [Sagra della Vastedda Fritta](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-della-vastedda-fritta-gratteri/) | Gratteri | vastedda fritta |
| third Sunday, with concerts in the days before | [Sagra delle Nocciole](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-delle-nocciole-hazelnut-festival-polizzi-generosa/) | Polizzi Generosa | hazelnuts |
| second half, two days | [Sagra del Sale](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-del-sale-rock-salt-festival-raffo/) | Raffo (Petralia Soprana) | rock salt |
| a Saturday in the second half | [Sagra Dà Purpietta C'Addauru](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-da-purpietta-c-addauru-gratteri/) | Gratteri | meatballs with bay leaves |
| last weekend | [Sclafani Bagni Wine & Food Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sclafani-bagni-wine-food-festival/) | Sclafani Bagni | wine and cooking with chefs |

Three tips for August:

- **Combine two festivals.** The Sagra del Grano in Pianello usually falls within the nine days of the Sagra della Spiga in Gangi. Gratteri, a few kilometres from Cefalù, is handy if you are staying on the coast.
- **Book your bed early.** See [where to stay in Gangi](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gangi/where-to-stay/), [in Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/where-to-stay/) or [in Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/where-to-stay/).
- **Check the times.** Many August festivals come alive in the evening: stall opening times are in the programme, which you will find on the event page.

For manna, the ash groves and the Pollina museum, see the guide to [Madonie manna](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-manna/). For wheat and hazelnuts, the guide to [beans and ancient grains](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/beans-and-ancient-grains/).

## Autumn: grape harvest, mushrooms, olive oil and cheese

From late September to mid-November the festivals follow the mountain harvests.

| Usual period | Festival | Town | The product |
|---|---|---|---|
| mid or late September, a Saturday | [A Pistata](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/a-pistata-petralia-soprana/) | Petralia Soprana | grape harvest, treading grapes by foot |
| end of October, Friday to Sunday | [Funghi Fest](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/funghi-fest-castelbuono/) | Castelbuono | mushrooms and Madonie products |
| second-to-last or last weekend of October | [Festa dei Sapori Madoniti d'Autunno](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-dei-sapori-madoniti-autumn-food-festival/) | Petralia Sottana | Park products, began as a chestnut festival |
| early November, a weekend | [Sagra dell'Ulivo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sagra-dell-ulivo-olive-festival-finale-di-pollina/) | Finale di Pollina | olive oil and cunzate olives |
| early November, a weekend | [Festa del Corbezzolo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/festa-del-corbezzolo-strawberry-tree-festival/) | Sant'Ambrogio (Cefalù) | strawberry tree fruit |
| a weekend in November | [Sapori d'Autunno](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/sapori-d-autunno-isnello/) | Isnello | roast chestnuts, honey, cheese, new wine |
| mid-November, a weekend | [Collesano Cheese Festival](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/collesano-cheese-festival/) | Collesano | Madonie cheeses |

The Funghi Fest and the Festa dei Sapori Madoniti often fall on the same weekend: in 2026 both ran from 23 to 25 October. The Funghi Fest was at its 20th edition, the Petralia Sottana festival at its 18th. For mushrooms and the rules for picking them, read the guide to [Madonie mushrooms and truffles](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/mushrooms-and-truffles/); for olive oil, the guide to [olive oil and wine](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/olive-oil-and-wine/).

## Winter: Christmas sweets

Between December and March the festivals stop. The exception is [Dolcemente Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/dolcemente-castelbuono/), from the long weekend of the Immaculate Conception: a village of huts with free tastings from the town's pastry shops, the giant buccellato and testa di turco. Seasonal sweets are in the guide to [typical desserts of the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/madonie-desserts/).

## The longest-running festivals

Edition numbers matter: they tell you how long a village has been standing up for its product. These are the 2026 edition numbers, from organisers and local news sources.

| Festival | Town | 2026 edition |
|---|---|---|
| Sagra delle Nocciole | Polizzi Generosa | 69th |
| Sagra della Spiga | Gangi | 61st |
| Sagra dell'Ulivo | Finale di Pollina | 50th |
| Sagra delle Fave | Isnello | 47th |
| Sagra del Sale | Raffo | 33rd |
| Sagra dell'Arancia | Scillato | 28th |
| Funghi Fest | Castelbuono | 20th |
| Sagra del Caciocavallo | San Mauro Castelverde | 20th |

## What you eat at Madonie food festivals

Every sagra has its dish, almost always tied to what the village grows or raises. Here is what you'll find at the stalls, grouped by type, from the programmes and sources of the festivals above.

- **Vegetables and pulses**: the wild greens of the April festival in Isnello; broad beans, potatoes and onions dressed with olive oil, vinegar and salt on 29 June, also in Isnello.
- **Bread, pasta and fried food**: bread and fresh pasta at the Sagra del Grano in Pianello; fried vastedda and bay-leaf meatballs in Gratteri; pasta with tomato sauce, crushed manna and almonds in Pollina, on the 3-euro ticket menu of 2026.
- **Cheese**: caciocavallo in San Mauro Castelverde, the shepherds' dishes of the Transumanza in Geraci Siculo, Madonie cheeses at the Collesano Cheese Festival.
- **Fruit and nuts**: Biondo di Scillato oranges, Polizzi Generosa hazelnuts, strawberry tree fruit in Sant'Ambrogio, roast chestnuts at Sapori d'Autunno in Isnello.
- **Woods and olive groves**: the mushrooms of the Funghi Fest in Castelbuono, olive oil and olive cunzate at the Sagra dell'Ulivo in Finale di Pollina.
- **To drink**: wine at the DiVino Festival in Castelbuono and in Sclafani Bagni, craft beer at the Vucciria Beer Festival in Geraci Siculo, new wine in Isnello.

## Where to find this year's dates

Festival dates change every year and full programmes often come out only a few days before. This page gives you the usual periods; for the dates of the current edition, checked at the source, use the list of [upcoming food festivals in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/food-festivals/), which you can filter by month and town, or the [events calendar](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/).

To eat well on days without a festival, the guide [what to eat in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/what-to-eat/) tells you which town to choose for each product.

## Related pages

- [Castelbuono](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castelbuono/)
- [Gangi](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gangi/)
- [Polizzi Generosa](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/polizzi-generosa/)
- [Pollina](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/pollina/)
- [Gratteri](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/gratteri/)
- [Isnello](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/isnello/)
- [Petralia Soprana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-soprana/)
- [Petralia Sottana](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/petralia-sottana/)
- [San Mauro Castelverde](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/san-mauro-castelverde/)
- [Scillato](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/scillato/)
- [Collesano](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/collesano/)
- [Geraci Siculo](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/geraci-siculo/)
- [Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/)
- [Sclafani Bagni](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/sclafani-bagni/)
- [Cefalù](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/cefalu/)

## Frequently asked questions

### Which are the best-known food festivals in the Madonie?

Among the longest-running are the Sagra delle Nocciole in Polizzi Generosa, which reached its 69th edition in 2026, the Sagra della Spiga in Gangi, at its 61st, and the Sagra dell'Ulivo in Finale di Pollina, at its 50th. One of the busiest is the Funghi Fest in Castelbuono, at the end of October.

### Which food festivals are there in the Madonie in August?

August is the fullest month: the Sagra del Grano in Pianello and the Sagra della Spiga in Gangi in the first half, the Sagra della Manna in Pollina mid-month, the vastedda fritta in Gratteri around the mid-August holiday, then the Sagra delle Nocciole in Polizzi, the Sagra del Sale in Raffo, purpietta c'addauru in Gratteri and the Sclafani Bagni festival at the end of the month.

### Which food festivals are there in the Madonie in autumn?

At the end of September A Pistata in Petralia Soprana; at the end of October, on the same weekend, the Funghi Fest in Castelbuono and the Festa dei Sapori Madoniti in Petralia Sottana; in November the Sagra dell'Ulivo in Finale di Pollina, the Festa del Corbezzolo in Sant'Ambrogio, Sapori d'Autunno in Isnello and the Collesano Cheese Festival.

### What do you eat at Madonie food festivals?

Each sagra is built around a local product. It ranges from broad beans with potatoes and onions in Isnello to fried vastedda and bay-leaf meatballs in Gratteri, from pasta with crushed manna and almonds in Pollina to olive cunzate in Finale, through caciocavallo, hazelnuts, mushrooms, roast chestnuts and cheese. You pay at the stalls or with a ticket.

### Are Madonie food festivals free?

Entry to village festivals is usually free: you pay for dishes and products at the stalls or for a tasting ticket. At the 2026 Sagra della Manna in Pollina, for example, the menu ticket cost 3 euros. Masterclasses and cooking shows at some festivals must be booked.

### Is there a food festival in the Madonie in winter?

Proper sagre stop between December and March. In December, from the long weekend of the Immaculate Conception, there is Dolcemente Castelbuono, the Christmas sweets village with free tastings from the town's pastry shops. In winter the big events in the Madonie are the living nativity scenes and Carnival.

## Sources

- [Comune di Polizzi Generosa, 69ª Sagra delle Nocciole](https://www.comune.polizzi.pa.it/vivere-il-comune/eventi/69-sagra-delle-nocciole/)
- [MadoniePress, 61ª Sagra della Spiga di Gangi (17 luglio 2026)](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/07/17/gangi-nove-giorni-tra-tradizioni-e-spettacoli-tutto-pronto-per-la-sagra-della-spiga/)
- [Balarm, 50ª Sagra dell'Ulivo a Finale di Pollina](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/a-finale-di-pollina-si-festeggia-la-50a-sagra-dell-ulivo-mezzo-secolo-di-tradizione-e-gusto-149196)
- [Cefalunews, 47ª Sagra delle Fave di Isnello (23 giugno 2026)](https://cefalunews.org/2026/06/23/isnello-il-29-giugno-torna-la-sagra-delle-fave-47-anni-di-tradizione/)
- [Madoniedintorni, 33ª Sagra del Sale di Raffo (19 agosto 2026)](https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/08/19/a-raffo-torna-la-sagra-del-sale-due-giorni-tra-tradizione-cultura-e-gastronomia/)
- [MadoniePress, XXVIII Sagra dell'Arancia di Scillato (4 maggio 2026)](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/05/04/scillato-celebra-il-biondo-torna-la-sagra-dellarancia-tra-sapori-musica-e-tradizione/)
- [MadoniePress, XX Sagra del Caciocavallo di San Mauro Castelverde (31 maggio 2026)](https://www.madoniepress.it/2026/05/31/san-mauro-castelverde-celebra-il-re-delle-madonie-torna-la-sagra-del-caciocavallo/)
- [Il Cefalino, Autunno 2026 sulle Madonie: feste, sagre e sapori](https://www.ilcefalino.it/autunno-2026-sulle-madonie-feste-sagre-e-sapori-per-vivere-il-territorio-riscoprire-antichi-sapori/)
- [MadoniePress, Sagra della Manna di Pollina 2026 (5 agosto 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/)
- [Comune di Collesano, Collesano Cheese Festival, 17ª Sagra del Formaggio](https://comune.collesano.pa.it/evento/collesano-cheese-festival-17a-sagra-del-formaggio/)

---

Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/food/food-festivals-calendar/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.