Food festivals in Bologna worth planning a trip around, by month.
Food festivals in Bologna worth planning a trip around, by month.
Mortadella Bo in Bologna is the annual mortadella festival held the second weekend of October on Piazza Maggiore, with 30 producers, tastings, cooking demos and the Mortadella IGP world record.
Focus: Mortadella di Bologna IGP
Tip: Free entry; the producers' booths run 10:00 to 22:00 across three days. The Mortadella IGP world record is held Saturday at 17:00.
SANA at BolognaFiere is Italy's largest organic and natural products trade fair, held four days each September with 700 exhibitors of organic food, cosmetics and well-being.
Focus: Organic, natural and bio food
Tip: Trade fair tickets are 25 euros online or 35 at the door; the public day is Sunday and the consumer tasting halls are the most-attended.
Tartufesta in Savigno, 30 minutes outside Bologna, is the autumn white-truffle festival, held the last weekends of October and the first three of November with truffle markets, tastings and trattoria menus.
Focus: White truffle, Savigno
Tip: Free entry; the Sunday market in Piazza XV Agosto is the busiest. Reserve trattoria lunch tables three weeks ahead.
Festa del Tortellino di Castelfranco, 25 minutes from Bologna, is the annual tortellino festival held mid-September in Castelfranco Emilia, the tortellino's legendary birthplace, with 50 stalls.
Focus: Tortellino
Tip: Free entry; the stalls run 18:00 to midnight across four days. Trains from Bologna Centrale to Castelfranco Emilia run every 30 minutes.
Gusta Bologna in Piazza Maggiore is the annual three-day Bolognese street-food festival held mid-May, with 40 stalls of regional producers, cooking demos and chef tastings.
Focus: Bolognese street food, regional producers
Tip: Free entry; the stalls run 11:00 to 24:00. Friday evening and Saturday lunch are the busiest slots.
Festa della Polenta di Zola Predosa, 15 minutes outside Bologna, is the autumn polenta festival held early November with the slow-cooked polenta, traditional Apennine stews and 30 stalls.
Focus: Polenta, Apennine cuisine
Tip: Free entry; the stalls run 11:00 to midnight. The Saturday-evening polenta dinner is the order; buses from Bologna run every 30 minutes.
Peak food season in Bologna is year-round.
Local dining hours: lunch around 12:30, dinner from 19:30.
service is typically included; small extra is welcome but not expected.
Ask the next local you meet what they would order. Bologna rewards trust.