Italians are universally known for being absolutely passionate about their love and appreciation for good food and wine. Year round, rural towns and villages across Italy offer the perfect occasion to celebrate typical and regional culinary delights by throwing a sagra, a food festival specifically organized to highlight a region’s specialty or famous local product. The festival will be held during the time of year that specific ingredient is harvested or is at the peak of its season.
The term “sagra” derives from Latin “sacrum” meaning holy: in ancient times these events were dedicated religious pagan celebrations where sacrifices were made as an offering in honor of the successful harvest. Nowadays, these festivals have acquired a different function in the local community even though they follow traditions that have been upheld for decades, even hundreds of years in some towns. Some of the most famous sagre in Italy are no longer old- style food fairs where only the local residents contribute & attend, but have now actually become a true tourist attraction, hosting thousands of people during the course of the event, which often run for 10 days or so.
Either way, attending a small town sagra is an absolute must to experience an authentic Italian rural setting- you’ll literally be rubbing elbows with the locals at crowded picnic tables set up one after another under enormous carnival style tents. A meal at the sagra is an unpretentious food experience- paper tablecloths and plastic-ware are abound, even the local table wine is served on tap in recycled glass bottles. No fancy frills are necessary to celebrate whatever outstanding product is being honored, be it fresh homemade pasta, artisanal cheese, new “novella” wines, cured and grilled meats, seasonal vegetables or specialties including truffles even wild boar. Cafeteria-style seating is the only option so get there early. The acoustics will hinder any intimate chat, so expect a chaotic but convivial atmosphere. Weekends are the most crowded since many festivals host local bands on weekend nights. The other main appeal to the sagre is the dancing, typically ballroom. Italians of all ages get up to participate- the entertainment on the dance floor is worth it while you wait for your order number to be called out!
At the larger sagre hundreds of local volunteers run the show, from the menu ordering stations to the open air kitchens that are manned by various generations of signoras rolling out fresh pasta while the men grill up meat and polenta on the wood fire grills in the back field. Of course the festival specialty item will dominate the menu but usually standard sides from salami & cheese plates to french fries will always be offered as well. The festivals also provide entertainment for kids- various carnival type booths are set up offering prizes and street games, coupled with candy and gelato stations of course. 
The name of a sagra will feature the name of the food product that is being celebrated- there are tens of thousands of sagras held throughout the country year- round so there seems to be a festival for every possible item and regional dish including Sagra delle Castagne (chestnuts), Sagra dell’Uva (grapes) Sagra della Mortadella, Sagra degli Gnocchi (fresh pasta festivals are always a must!), Sagra del Risotto, Sagra del Carciofo (artichoke), Sagra dell’Olio (olive oil), Sagra del Prosciutto, Sagra del Pesce (seafood).