The “Festa della Zucca” (in english “pumpkin festival”), organized by the local Pro Loco, takes place every year in Salzano, for two weeks between October and November. This festival, which occupies an indoor space of 5,000 square meters, has established itself as one of the most important autumn events in the Land of Tiepolo. It seeks to recover and re-propose the culture, tradition and gastronomy of the territory through a variety of offers: exhibition of local handicrafts, itineraries among regional flavours, involvement of children through schools and families, gastronomy with proposals and tastings of quality products and, lastly, competitions for the best pumpkins. These competitions have become an established attraction and focus on the characteristics that this product brings with it: the colour, the weight and its strangest shapes that allow them to be used to create “paintings” that attract curiosity and sympathy. A captivating approach for a poor vegetable that has established itself in this area for its beauty and simplicity.
In this one, which is one of the most important Pumpkin Festival in Italy, it is undoubtedly the gastronomy, thanks to a huge and well-equipped stand that can accommodate over one thousand seven hundred people to sit and at which you can taste a full menu based on this precious vegetable; from the first courses: risotto, ravioli and gnocchi up to desserts with cookies, sweets and cakes.
Thus, in this event, not only a product of the territory is celebrated, but the territory in its entirety, thanks to the exhibition of artisan and agri-food products, the workshops on the carving of pumpkins and above all to what is the real highlight of the festival: the pumpkin competitions. In this fun competition, different categories of pumpkin are awarded, including the smallest, the longest, the heaviest and so on, in a succession of awards and celebrations full of joy. There is also entertainment, starting with music and dance and then continuing with a series of shows ranging from the most varied performances to cabaret shows. For the little ones, the festival also includes celebrations on Halloween night, the day when the pumpkin becomes the world protagonist.
The multiplicity of initiatives has made this event not only the most anticipated of the year in Salzano, but also one of the main and longest lasting autumn events in the area.
