The Sheep Festival in Villarosa

La Sheep Festival in Villarosa it is an event not to be missed for all lovers of genuine flavours of Sicilian peasant tradition: Villarosa and its inhabitants, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Enna, cheerfully welcome all visitors who want to taste the local dishes based on sheep.

The First of May, one of the first celebrations of the summer, is spent outdoors in Villarosa, in the name of peasant tradition, with a program full of events and appointments with flavour.

It all begins in the morning, when the participants begin to be welcomed at Villa Lucrezia; afterwards, anyone who wishes can join the group for the guided tour of Villarosa or shop at the Worker's Market, and then move on to the Gastronomic Stand, which opens at lunchtime and remains active throughout the day. The afternoon continues with games and meetings.

The Festival ends only after the awards ceremony of the Photographic Exhibition that follows the concert.

Throughout the day, participants can taste traditional dishes, mutton cooked in different ways, try the fantastic local cheeses.

The history of the sheep festival in Villarosa

La Festival in Villarosa is organized by the town's Pro Loco, which in 2013 thought of a different and original way to spend the holiday May Day celebration. On the occasion of Labor Day, in fact, homage is paid through the festival to the local peasant community and the traditions that it passes down from generation to generation. What is the best way to discover or remember this great tradition, in fact, if not by tasting its tastiest dishes?

When the sheep festival takes place in Villarosa

The Sheep Festival in Villarosa is the celebratory event of May Day. It starts around 10 in the morning, while the Gastronomic Stand opens at midday. Throughout the day, it is possible to go to the stand and taste all the traditional dishes, until late in the evening.

Where the sheep festival takes place in Villarosa

Villarosa is located in the Free Municipal Consortium of Enna, in the heart of the Sicilian hinterland. In the country, the main place to go to participate in the festival is Villa Lucretia, which is located less than a kilometer from the center. On this day, however, for tourists who wish, a guided tour of the most interesting places in the country is also planned, such as the Museum train, the historic center and Villapriolo, about 7 km away from Villarosa.

What to do during the Sheep Festival in Villarosa

The Villarosa Festival is a joy for the palate: in the joy of this village festival, in the open air and in the company of the locals, it will be a great pleasure to taste the various culinary variations of the main dish, sheep. Don't miss the other delicious preparations at the food stands.

But to best celebrate May Day on Sicilian soil, tourists can join the local celebrations, taking part in the day's activities, such as the guided tour, the Workers' Market where you can go shopping, the quiz games to have fun in the square, all Together. Between one activity and another, of course, we still eat!

Those who want to participate in the guided tour to discover Villarosa will stop at Museum train, he will walk through the center and reach Villapriolo.

At the Museum Train you travel between past and present, discovering the roots of a people, along the railway tracks; visiting the center of Villarosa you can admire the traces of its recent eighteenth-century past, without forgetting the medieval origins of the village, while in Villapriolo, the town of almonds, you can visit the many museums of peasant civilization which have earned this small hamlet Villarosa the title of "Museum Town".

Those who decide to stay a few more days, thanks to the approaching warm season, can choose Villarosa as a starting point to also explore the surroundings, for example reaching Enna, just 30 km further south. Here the beauties, both natural and artistic, they seem to never end: starting from Tower of Frederick II up to the Duomo (which it is highly recommended to enter so as not to miss this wonderful pearl), the center of Enna offers a lot to its visitors, but the surroundings are no exception, with the natural beauty of Lake Pergusa, just 10 km from Enna and 26 km from Villarosa: here nature lovers can take long walks or relax among the green and blue.

How to get to the sheep festival in Villarosa

Villarosa is a Sicilian municipality located in the heart of the island: Palermo and Catania are both about 100 km from the municipality of the Free Municipal Consortium of Enna. To reach it and visit the Sheep Festival, you can take the A19 Palermo-Catania and the A18 Messina Catania. On the A19 you will come across the exit for Enna, at which you turn, and then continue up to Villarosa; from the A18 it is instead possible to merge onto the A19 and continue in the direction of Enna.