The word sagra denotes a local fair, generally a celebration of the bounties of the land, which means food as in a preparation ( sagra di torta di erbe ) or a raw ingredient ( sagra di pesce [fish]). There is probably a sagra somewhere for almost every food found in Italy.
Attending a sagra is a way to get a taste of Italian country life and food culture and get away from the tourist crowds. You order the food to be cooked by locals with a passion for local cuisine, then you sit at the communal tables with other locals to eat. Eating in a sagra is generally inexpensive as well.
Sagre grande (plural of sagra) can feature bands or stalls selling local foods and other items. Sometimes there is a competition of some kind, like a bike race, but usually they meet at a party or festival.
How to find a sacred
You will probably need a car to attend a sagra, as most of them take place in small towns, usually in the main square or in a specially designated area where there are tables, just follow the crowd. When walking through small towns or driving through the Italian countryside, you will see colorful signs posted at intersections indicating the sagra di ____, with dates and times large enough to be read from a passing car. Some sagra are also held in cities and you can find them in the same way, by looking for posters.
The signs are in Italian, of course, but they are fairly easy to understand. Learn how to read a sagra poster to see the kinds of information you can get from one. Most do not advertise on the Internet, although some larger ones are starting to have websites or Facebook pages.
When to go
Sagre are usually celebrated on Friday dinner (venerdi) and Saturday (sabato) and Sunday lunch (domenica), but this can vary, so check the poster. Most sagre takes place only one or two weekends each year.
Many sagre takes place in late spring and summer, but fall is also a great time to find them. In autumn, chestnuts ( Castagne ), mushrooms ( funghi ), and grape wines ( UVA ) are common and in some places in northern and central Italy, truffles ( Tartufi ) are found, the ultimate foodie treat, even though they are known. usually as a truffle fair or festival.
