Eggplant Festival in Milazzo

Milazzo, municipality of the Metropolitan City of Messina, located on the Tyrrhenian coast of Sicily, hosts as every year the Eggplant Festival, gastronomic event dedicated to one of the most loved vegetables in Sicily and the undisputed protagonist of the typical cuisine of the island.
La Festival in Milazzo it combines flavor and fun in the height of the Sicilian summer and invites, in addition to the fellow citizens of Milazzo, all the tourists who wish to savor unique dishes with genuine ingredients, to visit the city in the month of August.

The menu includes, among other things, the delicious aubergines in oil, to be enjoyed with sandwiches served directly at the festival stands; many, the other aubergine-based dishes that can be found in Milazzo these days: aubergine sauce, meatballs, caponata, stuffed aubergines and aubergines parmigiana are just some of the delicacies to be tasted in the square, while music accompanies the tastings and many shows are staged in the streets to entertain the public, between one dish and another.

Two days of good food, but not only: folk music, contests and parades guarantee fun during this festival which also reveals other aspects of the local tradition, as well as the secrets of gastronomy, bringing traditional Sicilian songs and dances to the streets.

Il The Golden Eggplant Contest for Farmersawards the largest vegetable every year: of course, they could not be missing from the Milazzo Festival, the protagonists of local production, the representatives of the farms in the Messina area, who offer the best fruits of the earth to the visitors of the Festival.

The history of the Eggplant Festival in Milazzo

The Sagra a Milazzo was born in 1988 and has reached its XXXIII edition this year, becoming by now a fixed appointment of the Sicilian summer for all lovers of good food and genuine products.

The gastronomic event sees the participation of local producers of the beloved vegetable king of Sicilian cuisine, with the patronage of the Municipality of Milazzo and in collaboration with the Cultural Association of the Voice of Etna Folk Group, which brings the traditional atmosphere of the island's culture to the party, and with the City of Milazzo Association.

The festival was created with the aim of making the younger generations, but above all visitors, aware of the traditions of Sicilian cuisine, inviting tourists from the island to lunch and dinner.

When the Eggplant Festival takes place in Milazzo

The eggplant, one of the most popular vegetables of the summer season, is celebrated with the Sagra a Milazzo in month of August. The event lasts two days and usually takes place during the first two weeks of the month.

Where the Eggplant Festival takes place in Milazzo

Milazzo, in the Metropolitan City of Messina, overlooks the Tyrrhenian Sea. The festival takes place in fraction of Santa Marinain Piazza Pozzo.

What to do during the Eggplant Festival in Milazzo

Arriving in Well square, you will already find all the stands set up and ready to serve the delicacies of traditional cuisine, all based on aubergines. Tasting and savoring the traditional flavors of Sicilian cuisine right on the island will give every bite an even more authentic flavour. After having delighted the palate, however, it will be possible to attend musical performances and dances, to share this moment of joy with the inhabitants of Milazzo.

The month of August offers a lot to those who visit Sicily: in addition to seasonal vegetables, to be enjoyed at the festival, by visiting Milazzo you can also enjoy the beautiful days to reach the beach, or take a tour of the area, in the center or in the surrounding area.

In Milazzo you experience the sea: from sheer rocks to equipped beaches, the most beautiful beaches in the area are Pool of Venus, Capo di Milazzo and Lido La Fenice, where you can swim in clear waters or relax in the sun.

Il ancient village of Milazzo, with its churches and alleyways that climb towards the Castle, is all worth visiting, perhaps stopping from time to time to taste the local specialties in bars or restaurants.

In the old part of the city you can admire the Castle, large fortress that dominates the Capo Milazzo peninsula, and is today one of the largest Citadels in Europe. The site where it stands was already inhabited in prehistoric times; inside the walls, visitors will find many traces of the passage of history and also the MuMa, Milazzo Sea Museum: an attraction not to be missed for all lovers of history and art, which in its smallest part offers an incomparable show.

In the surroundings of Milazzo, you can easily reach the Sanctuary of Sant'Antonio da Padova, the Viewpoint La Manica to admire the whole panorama of the area or you can go as far as Tindari, for a visit to the Archaeological Area, just 35 km from Milazzo.

Those who spend a holiday in Sicily will be able to discover all the aubergine-based dishes at the Milazzo Festival, but cannot overlook the other delicacies of the local cuisine, which can be tried in the best restaurants in the area.

How can you reach the Eggplant Festival in Milazzo

Milazzo is located in the province of Messina about 39 km from the city. To get to the hamlet of Santa Marina where the Sagra a Milazzo takes place, you can travel on the highway or on the railway.
In the car, you need to take the A20 and take the exit for Milazzo; on the train, travelers can book a ticket to the Milazzo train stop.