Caorle is much more than sea and sand: the city has a long standing culinary tradition.
The “sagra” represents the countryside festival: one of the most famous food & drink and entertainment attraction that you must not miss, during your holidays in Caorle.
Especially during the spring and the summer season the hinterlands of the city host a fascinating array of local events ranging from food and drink festivals to entertainment shows. Their roots lie in a strong relationship between the local traditions and the regional eating well.
Ottava Presa, San Giorgio di Livenza, Sansonessa, Castello di Brussa and Ca’ Corniani, the historical districts of Caorle offer the great opportunity to taste a local culinary tradition.
The countryside festival season begins at the end of April with the Sagra of Ottava Presa. The event takes place under a great tent structure and it is a succession of live concerts of local bands, recitals and rhythmic gymnastics performances. But the entertainment experience doesn’t let up: a well-equipped stall selling food and drinks offers everyone the opportunity to eat tasteful and cheap local dishes.
The festival in San Giorgio di Livenza takes place in the same period, at the end of April due to patron Saint’s festival. The parishioners manage the event designed to worthy celebrate the martyr St George’s Day. The festival combines religious time with a convivial atmosphere. For this reason the celebration countdown is always exciting: the festival is located just few steps from the church of San Giorgio di Livenza and there are a lot of feasting and dancing events for adults and kids.
At the beginning of May the spotlights are turned towards Sansonessa, the populous neighborhood located in the city gate of Caorle. For 42 years the district has been managing its own sagra in range the patron saint of Sansonessa: on 1st of May the whole district honorees St Joseph the Worker. Long time ago the countryside festival hold on the district’s pitch, while couple of years ago it was relocated for logistical reasons in the Palaexpomar in via Aldo Moro, the fairground of Caorle. The organizing committee provides every year a calendar of side events outside the formal plans related to the patron saint’s celebrations. As usual the Father celebrate the Mass in the small district’s church, then he guides the procession of the patron saint through Sansonessa and finally living on memories of the countryside, the Father blesses the tractors.
Another turn of events falls in mid-May, when the parishioners organize the Regina della Pace’s Festival in the rural district located across the beautiful Caorle’s lagoon, Castello di Brussa. The event plans on both religious and nonreligious moments, for example cycle tours, live concerts under the great tent structure and the living on memories of the countryside. One more scheduled event connected to the agricultural tradition of the countryside is the Festa della Mietitura and it takes place in the second half of July. For a couple of years Brussa has been planning a parade of figures, vintage cars, and vintage threshers, too, to commemorate the rural time of this beautiful place. Moreover there are unbeatable time dedicated to delicious food and drinks, live concerts and charity lotteries.
Of course Caorle has also its “sagra” in Porto Santa Margherita, the “nautical district” of the city, called “Festa del Calamaro” and it is celebrated around the Feast of the Assumption. Being in a seaside, the seafood is a must-to-eat dish, especially if cooked by some wise fishermen. Here the local organizing committee plants a great tent structure in via dei Greci, which hosts hundreds of people. The event recalls tourists from both Caorle and the other districts nearby Porto Santa Margherita.
Toward the end of August Ca’ Corniani organizes the St. John the Baptist’s Festival. Just few minutes away by car there is this wonderful rural area of Caorle. Also in this case the mixing religious moments (among the procession saint’s effigy) and entertainment time makes sense. The sagra usually take place nearby the old primary school and provide dancing and feasting activities, as well as live concerts.