Chestnut Festival in Tusa

The chestnut is always a much loved food and represents one of the most typical productions of some regions of Italy, such as Sicily. Precisely for this reason, a Tusa a location in province of Messina, it was decided to organize an event that was entirely dedicated to chestnuts and to all the numerous and wonderful recipes that can be made with this fruit, which grows very luxuriantly in this area, thanks also to the climatic and soil characteristics.

For all those with a sweet tooth, then, here is everything you need to know to organize your participation in the Chestnut Festival in Tusa.

Description of the Chestnut Festival in Tusa

La Chestnut Festival in Tusa it is an event that attracts a large audience of greedy people every year. Obviously it is a festival that is dedicated above all to chestnuts and which includes the possibility of tasting many different specialties which obviously have chestnuts as the main ingredient.

If the event is organized to promote this very special food, in reality the opportunity is then used to do so get to know Tusa to a very large public, which arrives attracted by the possibility of tasting chestnuts but which in reality is then guided on a journey to discover the particularities of this territory, its customs and habits, as well as local craftsmanship. In fact, the event involves the entire historic center and also includes the possibility of taking part in guided tours to discover the beauty of the place.

The story related to the event

There is no particular history linked to the Chestnut Festival in Tusa because it is a very recent event, organized above all to give greater visibility to an area rich in excellence but quite outside the more classic circuits of mass tourism.

In reality, the Tusa area has been inhabited since ancient times, also thanks to its particular position which sees the town center perched on a rock outcrop, in a truly favorable defensive position. Precisely because of this secluded position, Tusa since ancient times has been able to dedicate itself to agricultural production and in particular to cultivation of chestnut trees, thanks to which the fruit abounds in this area. Hence the idea of ​​organizing a festival that would put the chestnut at the center of everyone's interest, also because there are many traditional sweet and savory recipes that include its use.

When the Chestnut Festival takes place in Tusa

Conventionally the Chestnut Festival in Tusa is organized in second week of October. Not being linked to any particular occasion, especially of religious origin, the chestnut festival can fall in a different period every year but usually the first or second week of October is preferred because this period coincides with that normally dedicated to the harvest of the chestnut but also because the weather is still mild in this period and therefore it is pleasant to take part in an outdoor event.

Finally, the Chestnut Festival in Tusa is always organized at the weekend and lasts two days, Saturday and Sunday, so as to allow a wider audience to take part, free from work commitments.

Where the Chestnut Festival takes place in Tusa

Obviously the Chestnut Festival in Tusa can only take place in the town of the same name which is located in the province of Messina. The town is very small, it has a totally medieval appearance given that the historic center has been perfectly preserved, and this makes the event even more evocative. The organization involves the entire town centre, made up of small, regular streets and small squares that suddenly open up in the center of buildings with a historic flavour.
In these alleys you can find them stand of all kinds, which offer not only chestnuts but also local crafts. The larger spaces, on the edge of the historic centre, are used to host musical, theatrical and cabaret shows which are held on both Saturday and Sunday evenings.

What to do during the event

The Chestnut Festival in Tusa is a food and wine event which aims to make local cuisine known to a wide audience, lovers of chestnuts.

First of all, for the entire duration of the event you can find the braziers of roasted chestnuts but also the kettles offering boiled chestnuts. For those who, in addition to this natural version, want to dare something else, there is no shortage of stands that organize cooking shows and tastings of sweet and savory recipes based on chestnuts. It is worth remembering that Tusa has a purely agricultural community, with a long culinary tradition, so you will be able to try a thousand traditional recipes that enhance such a genuine fruit, making even poor cuisine precious. Finally, the evenings are enlivened by theatrical shows and music concerts of various kinds, to involve an audience of all ages, even with a moment dedicated to dancing.

How to get to Tusa

To get to the town and take part in the chestnut festival in Tusa, you can take the road by car. From Palermo and Messina, for example, the reference motorway is the A20, with the exit at the Tusa junction from which, then, you continue to your destination along the SS113.

The locality is also served by Station local which is connected with the regional trains of the Palermo-Messina line. Long-distance connections, on the other hand, stop at the nearby Santo Stefano di Camastra station from which you can continue to Tusa with a local bus service provided by the ATS company.