Here's a page devoted to travelling foodies: our Sicilian food and wine festival calendar!
In our experience, everyone who comes to Sicily falls in love with the food and wine!
They love the variety, the freshness, the simple use and combinations of ingredients and the fact that they are virtually always locally grown or produced... The same is true of the wine!
Most towns and villages have their very own food or wine festival, a sagra, to celebrate the fruits of their labours and to show off their produce.
Here are some sagre taking place in Sicily (listings for other months and other events will come soon when we know the exact dates, so keep coming back to find what's on in Sicily's gastronomic calendar)!
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
March
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IV Sagra Arancia Rossa di Sicilia IGP
Sicily's blood oranges are beyond compare and are duly celebrated at various times all ove the island. Oranges are not the only fruit at this event, however, and there are lots of other tasty local dishes to try as well.
Where? Centuripe (not far from Enna in the centre of Sicily)
When? 16th - 18th March 2012
April
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Sagra del Carciofo
The little town of Cerda between Palermo and Cefalu concentrates its efforts on one thing alone: the cultivation and cooking of artichokes! This festival is a celebration of their labours nd visitors can taste the local speciality cooked in dozens of different ways.
Where? Cerda (between Palermo and Cefalu)
When? 25th April
Sagra della ricotta e del formaggio
One of Sicily's oldest food festivals in the town of the great write Giovanni Verga. Freshly made ricotta is something that the whole of Sicily excels in and deserves to be celebrated! You'll be able to try all manner of ricotta products, including cassata and cannoli as well as a host of other local cheeses. Blessed are the Cheesemakers!
Where? Vizzini (in the hills between Caltagirone and Syracuse)
When? 25th April
Sagra della Frittella
Frittella is a dish that celebrates all that is good about the coming of Spring: peas, artichokes and fava beans cooked up together in a tribute to the colour green!
Where? Isnello (in the Madonie Mountains)
When? 30th April 2012
Sagra del Pomodoro and I Gusti del Barocco
Tomatoes provide the excuse for three days of cooking, eating, drinking, folklore and culture... Come along, join in the fun and taste some wonderful things on the sea!
Where? Sampieri (on the sea near Scicli)
When? 29th April - 1st May
May
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Festa della Fragola
Anyone who loves strawberries should come to Cassabile and Siracusa at the start of May! Try the new crop (the south-east of Sicily has one of the first crops in Europe) either simply, with sugar, or inside a sausage or a mozzarella ball!
Where? Cassibile (just south of Siracusa) and Siracusa
When? 28th April - 1st May
Cannoli & Friends
Ask a Sicilian what his favourite sweet is and he or she would give one of two answer: cassata or cannolo. This festival celebrates the latter (but doesn't exclude lots of other tasty cakes!) and some of the best are made in Piano degli Albanesi in the hills above Palermo... Last year over 50,000 cannoli were sold in 3 days!
When? 6th - 8th May
Where? Piano degli Albanesi
Mercato dei Formaggioi e Sagra della Ricotta
A cheese fest, celebrating a host of different Sicilian cheeses including the ubiquitous ricotta!
Where? Poggioreale (in the province of Trapani)
When? 9th May 2012
Sagra delle Teste di Turco
A celebration of one of Scicli's traditional cakes (translated as Turks' Heads), commemorating the Norman victory over the Arabs in 1091 and the subsequent liberation of Scicli. Guests are offered a cake and a glass or two of local wine.
Where? Scicli
When? last Saturday in May (26th May 2012)
June
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Sagra della Seppia
A chance to feast on cuttlefish in all its different culinary forms.
Where? Donnalucata (on the coast below Scicli)
When? 15th - 17th June 2012
Sagra delle Fave di San Pietro
One of Sicily's favourite foodstuffs, fava beans, are celebrated every year at Isnello in the Madonie Mountains. Accompanied by roasted onions, boiled potatoes and lashings of local wine
Where? Isnello (in the Madonie Mountains)
When? 29th June 2012
Festa del Cappero in Fiore
Salina, one of the seven Aeolian Islands, is known for its uncontaminated beauty, its wines and its capers! This Slow Food festival is a great opportunity for learning about capers and trying some of the island's delicious caper-infused recipes!
Where? Salina (in the Piazza di Sant'Onofrio in Pollara)
When? Around the 1st Sunday of June
Inycon a Menfi Wine Festival
A chance to taste some of Sicily's finest wines and visit some of the local cantine in one of the island's most important wine-producing towns. Apart from Bacchus' tipple, there are tastings of local olive oil and other gastronomic products not to mention concerts and shows.
Where? Menfi
When? 22nd - 24th June 2012
July
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Festa del Raccolto
At this harvest festival celebrating the end of a year's labour, the small town of Cianciana feasts on chickpeas, fava beans and other local produce as it has done for hundreds of years. Prayers of thanksgiving, music and a generally feel-good atmosphere make for a great experience.
Where? Cianciana (inland from Agrigento)
When? 31st July
Sagra dell'Olio
High in the Nebrodi Mountains, the townsfolk of Furnari invite all-comers to taste the fruit of their labours: bread oozing locally produced olive oil, bruschette, olives and wine. Music plays an important role as the locals and their guests let their hair down.
Where? Furnari (in the Nebrodi Mountains above Tindari)
When? 31st July
August
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Pasta cu l'Agghia e Sasizza Arrustuta
Pesto alla Trapanese and roasted sausage followed by locally grown melon and lashings of the area's excellent white wine! All to celebrate Ferragosto...
Where? Buseto Palizzolo (near Erice, Trapani and San Vito Lo Capo)
When? 14th August
Sagra dell Cipolla
Famous for its onions, that's what Giarratana is! And the town celebrates its precious product with onion-based dishes, live music and dancing, art exhibitions and fireworks!
Where? Giarratana (in the Iblei hills north of Ragusa)
When? 14th August
La Sagre del Mare
A fabulous fishy festival during which the townsfolk of Mazara del Vallo (whose fishing fleet is one of the biggest in the Mediterranean) celebrate the fruits of the sea. Enormous frying pans (3 metres in diametre and with 1-metre-long handles) are used to fry fish, prawns and squid. Boiled octopus is also served and lashings of local wine ensure that a good time is had by all!
Where? Mazaral del Vallo (on Sicily's west coast just south of Marsala)
When? the 3rd week of August
La Sagra del Tortone
This lovely local festival celebrates not only the local speciality, a traditional cake made with flower, yeast, olive oil and sugar, but also the events that took place in the town's castle in 1282 during the Sicilian Vespers. After a mediaeval procession, the cakes are taken up to the castle and duly divided amongst those present.
Where? Sperlinga in the Madonie Mountains
When? 16th August
September
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ViniMilo Sagra dei vini dell'Etna
An event dedicated to showcasing wines produced on and around Mount Etna.
Where? Milo (a village on the eastern flanks of Mount Etna)
When? the first 2 weekends of September
PaniCunzatu Fest
'Pane cunzatu' is a speciality of Scopello, a tiny village overlooking the sea on the north-west coast. Essentially, pane cunzatu is a tasty sandwich filled with most or all of the following ingredients: olive oil, sun-dried tomatoes, pecorino cheese, oregano, black olives and anchovies! The sagra also features other local products and traditional Sicilian music and dancing.
Where? Scopello (near Castellammare del Golfo)
When? 8th - 9th September
Sagra dell'Arancino
Nothing is more Sicilian than an arancino, a deep-fried rice ball traditionially filled with meat sauce or melted mozzarella and ham. The Sagra dell'Arancino goes several steps further, offering visitors a stunning array of fillings including octopus, peppers, mushrooms, chicken, spinach and many more!
Where? Ficarazzi, an area of Aci Castello on Sicily''s east coast.
When? 9th - 12th September
CousCous Fest
The CousCous Fest in San Vito Lo Capo is one of Sicily's most popular and international festivals, celebrating a dish that is eaten by millions and cooked in myriad different ways around the Mediterranean basin. The focus of the festival is a highly competitive cook-off with chefs arriving from Algeria, Libya, Tunisia, Marocco, Paleestine, Israel, Egypt, Turkey the Ivory Coast and many other nations. Live music, dancing and a carnival atmosphere make the event a must for anyone staying in western Sicily towards the end of September!
Where? San Vito Lo Capo (near Trapani on Sicily's most north-westerly point)
When? 20th - 25th September 2012.
Sagra della Vendemmia
A fascinating look at the traditions of the Sicilian grape harvest including the blessing and pressing of the grapes, the preparation of the must and a tasting of typical dishes eaten during the harvest period... all washed down with some excellent wine!.
Where? Pedalino just outside Comiso in the south-east (not far from Ragusa).
When? the last Sunday of September.
Sherbeth Festival
If you like ice-cream, this festival is a must! Sherbeth, from the Arabic for frozen drink, celebrates the very best creations of the very best artisinal ice-cream and granita producers around... Yum! There are also concerts and other events.
Where? Cefalu.
When? 15th - 18th September
Sagra della Salsiccia
Three days in celebration of the mighty sausage! Of course there are also stalls, fairground rides, music, a homage to the local patron saint, San Vincenzo, but the sausage reigns supreme!
Where? Aragona near Agrigento
When? The second Sunday in September
Sagra del riso
Officially this sagra celebrates locally grown rice but it also serves up some traditional recipes using donkey meat and pork!!
Where? Canicattini Bagni near Syracuse.
When? 11th September
Sagra del Peperone
Peppers have long been a staple of Sicilian cuisine and are cooked in numerous ways. Whether baked in the oven and served in a sweet and sour garlic dressing, or stuffed with cheese, ham, breadcrumbs, pine kernels and raisins or simply barbecued, here is no better place to taste them than this sagra which is also devoted to the local patron saint, San Francesco!
Where? Sutera, near Agrigento and Caltaniessetta.
When? the second week of September
Festa della Vendemmia
Another grape harvest festival, this time on the eastern flanks of Mount Etna. Visitors get to taste not only the local wine, but also a range local artisanal foods. Music, dancing and costumed theatrics all accompany the wine-makers as they press the grapes using tradtional methods.
Where? Piedimonte Etneo on the eastern flanks of Mount Etna.
When? 23rd - 25th September
Festa della Madonna e sagra del tonno rosso
This festival is devoted to 'Madonna Bambina' but is also popular for its more profane characteristics: a fishing boat race, a firework display and lashings of red tuna!
Where? Ognina, a little fishing village just south of Syracuse.
When? 8th September with other events from 5th - 14th September