Alcamo Grape Festival

History and flavours, perfumes, colors and traditions are always found in Sicilian festivals: the Alcamo Grape Festival is one of the events not to be missed, for all those who are not satisfied with consuming a pre-packaged product at the table, but instead seek go deeper, discovering the origins of each product and preferring rich and genuine flavours.

The Alcamo Grape Festival is just that: walking among the stands of Ciullo Square, you can discover typical products and tools of the trade, you can watch the grape harvest, you can relive the atmosphere of the ancient market. Carts are back in the city, pulled by horses and mules, as in the early twentieth century, while squares and streets come alive to the rhythm of folk music, reproducing the most joyful aspects of peasant life, a life made of work and authenticity.

For several years now, visiting the Alcamo Grape Festival, it is possible to go back in time and taste the true flavors of Sicily, even attending the Historical Procession that crosses the streets of the center.

Sicilian festivals: the history of the Alcamo grape festival

Among the Sicilian festivals, the Alcamo Grape Festival has a young history, but which has its roots in the most ancient peasant traditions of the place: brought to the square since 2013 thanks to the Association of the Knights of the Castle of the Counts of Modica, the The event is sponsored by the Municipality of Alcamo, with the aim of promoting not only the final product, the wine made with local grapes, but also of transmitting the knowledge of an artisanal production process, linked to the tradition of the place.

Grapes, agricultural equipment, men and animals working side by side, to present an excellent quality product on the table: in this way, the harvest also serves the Memory of Alcamo on the table.

The event is aimed at young people from Alcamo, who can thus discover the traditions of their ancestors, but also at all tourists who want to discover how wine is really born.

The Alcamo grape festival, when it takes place

Summer is the period of the Sicilian festivals: the Grape Festival of Alcamo takes place in the month of August, when the grapes are harvested. Traditionally, the dates of this event are August 12th and 13th.

The Alcamo grape festival, where it takes place

Alcamo is a town populated by about 44.000 people, in Gulf of Castellammare, Free Municipal Consortium of Trapani.
The Grape Festival takes place in Piazza Ciullo, in the north eastern quadrant of Alcamo, where most of the stands are located. The harvest takes place in front of the Town Hall and other parts of the city are also involved in the event: it is possible to find some stalls between Corso VI Aprile and Via Amendola. The Corteo Storico, on the other hand, passes along the street Our Lady of Rest, Via Europa and Via Italia, Corso VI Aprile, until you reach Piazza Ciullo.

The Alcamo grape festival, what to do during the event

Discover the Sicilian festivals: the Alcamo Grape Festival is an event not to be missed, fun and cultural at the same time, because it shows you a production process that has now been consigned to history, which however should not be forgotten.
Discovering how wine is produced, from harvesting to pressing, is certainly a very pleasant experience, which will also allow you to taste other typical products.

The Alcamo Grape Festival, in the height of the Sicilian summer, is the perfect event around which to plan a holiday on the island: a holiday that knows how to combine flavours, natural beauties and artistic and cultural attractions to discover while relaxing in Sicily.

Here then is what could be a tour of the area starting from Alcamo, where there are numerous churches, such as the small one Church of San Tommaso of the fifteenth century, in Gothic style but incorporated into the urban fabric or the Church of Sant'Oliva, with its wonderful Baroque paintings and decorations.
The Castle of the Counts of Modica, right in the centre, is a spectacle to be enjoyed especially at sunset, while those who wish can venture into the surroundings of Alcamo, on the Mount Bonifato, where the ancient ones are found remains of Longuro, a settlement that according to legend dates back to the ancient Greeks.

Ad Alcamo Marina, a coastal fraction of the city, there is a beautiful beach overlooking the Gulf, where you can spend pleasant hours relaxing under the sun, or swimming in the crystal clear waters of Sicily.

Those who stop in Alcamo for a few more days can also take the opportunity to visit Palermo, about 65 km away: along the way, a stop at the splendid Isola delle Femmine, Nature Reserve and true spectacle of Nature, before reaching one of the most beautiful cities in our country. In Palermo, enter the spectacular Church of St. Catherine, visit the Palazzo dei Normanni and Palazzo Mirto, find out the Palatine Chapel, but be careful: these are just some of the many artistic and architectural beauties of the city.

How to get to the Alcamo grape festival

Alcamo, in the Free Municipal Consortium of Trapani, can be easily reached by car or train.

By car, via the A29 Palermo-Mazara del Vallo, the center can be reached from the Alcamo Est or Ovest exit, about 4 km from the city; by train, getting off at the Punta Raisi station, you can continue for the next 26 km by bus or shuttle.

Among the Sicilian festivals, the Alcamo Grape Festival takes place in Piazza Ciullo, in the centre, near the Castle of the Counts of Modica.