Olive Harvest Festival 2023: Events, Tastings, & Cultural Program
Olive Harvest Festival: events and schedule
Extra virgin olive oil, olives, cultural and gastronomic gatherings at the sixth edition of the Olive Festival. Two days, starting at 11 a.m. tomorrow, with the inauguration of the ancient Church of the Santissima Trinità, recently restored, to deeply explore olive oil, olive growing, and taste typical products of what is, not by chance, called the Riviera of Olives.
“The administration,” explained Torri vice-mayor Giorgio Bonoldi, “has increased the budget for this event, which is now considered significant in the agricultural and tourism sectors of the Verona area. A heated tent measuring 30 by 10 meters along the lakeside will welcome visitors.” The festival’s program is packed with activities.
After the inauguration of the exhibition on “Recovery of the Popular Art Heritage: Restoration Interventions of Murals, Churches, and Capitalia of the Torri Territory,” scheduled at 11 a.m. in the fourteenth-century church of Piazza del Porto, a conference will start in the council chamber of the Castle Museum. Beginning at 2:30 p.m., the following presentations will be delivered:
“Evolution of Olive Growing on Garda,” curated by Sergio Spada, vice-president of Aipo, the Italian association of small olive oil producers; “Issues related to DOP certification,” the protected designation of origin that, in recent years, has been obtained by the olive growers of Benaco; and finally, “Garda Olive Oil as a Element of New Tourism Marketing,” with journalist and gastronomic expert Angelo Peretti as speaker.
At the end of the sessions, there will be an opportunity to taste extra virgin olive oils, curated by Cristiano De Riccardis. “In practice,” joked culture councilor Daniela Peroni, “this part prepares the way for tasting the bruschetta offered at the stalls.” De Riccardis’s mini-course aims to help visitors distinguish the different types of extravirgin, coming from Abruzzo, Puglia, Sicily, and Veneto.
Only 40 people will be able to sign up for the initiative offered by Slow Food. On Sunday morning, guided tours of the olive mills are scheduled, while the afternoon will be rich in cultural moments, such as a viewing of audiovisuals curated by the Verona Photographic Circle along Lungolago Barbarani, and, shortly before, at 5 p.m., the presentation of the video produced by the Centro Studi per il Territorio Benacense, titled “Garda Fishermen.”
Exhibitions, contests, and other events
During the two-day lakeside event, about twenty exhibitors will showcase typical products from Garda and olive harvesting tools and equipment. Additionally, in the conference rooms of the Tourist Information Office, an exhibition of Benaco publishing and a prize contest involving local elementary and middle schools on the theme “The Olive Tree and Olive Oil” will be held. The contest for schoolchildren will award the top three elementary classes and the top three middle school classes, with prizes of 500,000 and 200,000 lire, respectively.
The event, including the Bobby Solo concert on Sunday at 8:30 p.m., costs around thirty million lire. The expenditure has increased by one-third compared to last year. Provincial tourism councilor Davide Bendinelli has also confirmed his presence. “We believe in this event,” he commented, “because it highlights a characteristic aspect of the Garda Riviera. The Province will contribute,” he added.