Asparagus Festival Highlights Food, Wine and Local Produce in Cavaion
The asparagus, a springtime protagonist among local specialty products. After Pastrengo and Rivoli, the focus on this vegetable now shifts to Cavaion, which hosts one of the most traditional festivals dedicated specifically to this produce, whose production is limited in both space and quantity.
An agricultural product, asparagus, has successfully added value to the local economy over a few years, emphasizing a proposal of “food authenticity, environmental uniqueness, and local culture”. The Cavaion Asparagus Festival combines the contest for the Golden Asparagus, now in its 33rd edition, with competitions for Bardolino Classico wine, extra virgin olive oils from the Veronese Garda area, Brescia, and Trentino, and for Garda D.O.P. (Protected Designation of Origin) extra virgin olive oil.
Program and Attractions of the Event
Overall, it is a producer fair with exhibition, tastings, and sales of a basket of high-quality products, organized by Pro loco and the Municipality in collaboration with the Azienda di promozione turistica Riviera degli Olivi. A weekend from tomorrow through Monday the 21st, dedicated to enogastronomy, with restaurants, trattorias, agritourisms, winemakers, and olive growers actively participating, not only from the local area.
The event program features opening of the booths tomorrow at 7 PM, offering asparagus dishes, hard-boiled eggs, and other traditional humble cuisine. In the evening, there will be a presentation of the “Davide Giacomelli” contest in the parish hall, followed at 9 PM by a disco with Music Time.
Saturday will host a “Mini Scarabocchio” soccer tournament, reserved for children aged 6-8, and the booths will reopen at 6 PM for guided wine tastings until 8 PM. From 6:30 PM, demonstrations of karaté and pre-acrobatics from Scaliger students from Cavaion will take place, along with the performance of local majorettes. Late in the evening, there will be a folk dance with the Rita Gessy orchestra show.
The Final Days and Prizes
The Sunday festival begins with the “caminada” among the sparasare; the booths open at 10 AM, and the final match of the soccer tournament will be at 4 PM. At 8 PM, awards will be given to the winners of the three contests, and the evening will conclude with a folk dance.
Monday marks the closing of the 33rd edition of the festival, which offers these four days: a funfair, a rally car exhibition, a charity fishing event, and free entry (on Sunday) to the archaeological museum. Prizes will be awarded at the 28th inter-municipal contest for Bardolino Classico wine, produced in the classic production zone: Azienda Agricola Monte Oliveto (Calmasino), Azienda Agricola Raval (Bardolino); Azienda Agricola Costadoro (Bardolino); Azienda Agricola Le Tende (Lazise); Cantine Cesari (Cavaion); Azienda Agricola La Rocca (Bardolino); Azienda Agricola Girardelli (Bardolino); Cantine Zeni (Bardolino); Cantine Santi e Lamberti (Lazise), Cantine De Libori (Bardolino).
Additionally, awards will be given at the 11th olive oil contest for extra virgin olive oils from the Veronese Garda, Brescia, and Trentino areas: Azienda Agricola Raval (Bardolino). A record for owner Nello Rossi, who is being awarded for the tenth time; and Azienda Agricola Maddalena Pellegrini (Castion). The 3rd Garda D.O.P. extra virgin olive oil contest will also take place: Azienda Agricola Renzo Falconi (Cavaion); Azienda Agricola Maddalena Pellegrini (Castion); Azienda Agricola Manestrini (Soiano del Lago, BS); Azienda Agricola Costadoro (Bardolino); Studionatura s.s. (Polpenazze del Garda, BS); and the Interprovincial Agricultural Consortium (Affi).
