When it comes to travel, not many people know Le Marche. We don’t want it to be our little secret, however - that’s why we write about it; there’s so much to see and to do! If there is one thing for which Le Marche is known, it’s the wonderful food, based around fresh, local ingredients. The beauty of Le Marche is the varied terrain, and the different environments that are to be found throughout the region, as well as varying temperatures - baking hot summers and cool winters. This leads to an incredibly rich variety of foods produced. From truffles in the mountains, to coasts teeming with an incredible variety of seafood, you’ll find something for every palate. As we’ve discovered, the best place to find the produce that’s local to you is the humble sagra.

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A sandwich with meat, cheese and vegetables — The "scarafischio" - a sandwich with local pork, cheese and stewed vegetables

What does sagra mean in Italian?

Sagra literally translates to festival. When you think of a festival, you’d likely imagine a multi-day extravaganza in a tent in a field. The Italian version, however, is usually a much smaller affair, featuring a few gazebos, benches and, most importantly, the kitchen.

What is a sagra in Italy?

As opposed to the Spanish town, in Italy a sagra is essentially a street food festival held annually by a particular village or town. It features many of the locally grown, farmed and cooked ingredients and dishes of the area. They range from small gatherings with a couple of dishes, to large festivals with tents and costumes related to a certain time period (often medieval) and the produce on display, not to mention a massive menu. There will always be a “star of the show,” featuring something the people of the town are looking to really champion. That could be a certain pasta sauce, ragu or just one ingredient, such as a mushroom, chestnuts or even snails (they’re not just for the French)!

How does a sagra work?

Very simply: show up, order, eat - just like that. A sagra, like all Italian dinners, will usually start fairly late into the evening, so if you show up at 7, you’ll get your food more quickly, but you won’t get as much of the atmosphere. They start late and end late, running well into the early hours of the morning, so there’s no rush to get there! When you do arrive, there’ll be a queue you can join (British skills coming into play here) at “cassa 1,” where you can order and pay for your food at one window and collect it at another (cassa 2) when they call your number.

Please note: Italians do not queue, so be prepared for people to cut in line. It’s highly likely.

old Italian castle walls with a band playing music — The band take up position as the sagra in Offida begins

Once you’ve got your food, grab a seat on one of the long Oktoberfest-style benches, chow down and enjoy the atmosphere! The sagra is the highlight of the season, and it’s a time where the entire village or town comes together to enjoy the fruits of their labour together. The ladies make the pasta, the men cook the meat while nattering about politics and sport, and the children of the village wait tables and collect trays and plates. There’ll also be local stalls selling anything from peanuts to cakes to giant gummy snakes, and there’ll likely be a DJ or a band too, feeding your ears local favourites as you eat and dance long into the night.

Do sagras only offer one dish?

Fortunately not! While the star of the show will be the local dish or ingredient, you’ll find a full menu, complete with other local favourites which are available year-round, as well as cross-cultural staples like chips and sandwiches. We always find olive all’ascolana, arrosticini and various pastas - we always end up sitting down with quite a selection between us!

a table with a spread of seafood and pasta dishes, bottles of water and cups of wine — A selection of dishes at a local sagra in San Benedetto del Tronto

When are sagras held?

Sagras are generally held throughout the warmer months of the year, when it’s prime time for sitting outside and enjoying a warm evening with a meal and good company. They tend to start in the month of June and start to wrap up in September/October. Naturally, in keeping with true Italian tradition, the focus of the sagra depends on what’s in season!

Which sagras are on and when?

There are two temperate seasons which dominate the sagra season - summer and autumn. Summer sees everything from speciality pasta sauces, tomatoes, olives and polenta, while autumn brings wine, wild boar, truffles and more.

Keep an eye out when you’re travelling around town - sagras are advertised en masse on billboards and with posters throughout the town. For a more comprehensive look, you can find a full breakdown of the sagras happening across Le Marche and beyond here.

The sagra is the best place to find local specialities and, in Le Marche, there are quite a few to choose from! Check out some of our favourites here, many of which you can expect to find when you head to your next sagra!

Also, if you’d like to support the site, you can buy us our next cappuccino here. Cheers!