The town of Riva del Garda is ready to welcome one of its most beloved summer traditions: “Pam, bondola e vim,” scheduled for Sunday, June 30. At ten o’clock in the morning, with the tenth toll of the Apponale civic tower bell, the festival will begin, marking the start of summer for almost forty years.
A festival of flavors and conviviality
The event will take place in the central Piazza Tre Novembre, under the arcades of the town hall, from 10 am until the supplies run out, usually between 5:30 pm and 6 pm. The highlight of the day will be the arrival of a gigantic sausage weighing around ten quintals, transported by the fire brigade with the musical accompaniment of the city band. This super sausage will be transformed into about 20,000 sandwiches thanks to the work of a large group of volunteers. The sandwiches will be distributed free of charge along with 1200 liters of drinks and red and white wine.
Historical origins and charitable purposes
The event has deep roots in the local community and is organized by the Bacionela Club with the support of the Municipality of Riva del Garda. Born in 1980 from an idea by Germano Alberti, a well-known painter from Riva who passed away in 2020, the festival has become a fixed appointment in the city’s calendar. The main purpose of the event has always been to combine fun and solidarity: the proceeds are donated to local organizations and associations that help people in need.
The name “Bacionela Club” comes from the wooden container used in the past to transfer wine from one barrel to another. Among the founders of the association are local personalities such as Gianfranco Benatti (current president), Arnaldo Bresciani, Luciano Ferraglia, Aurelio Bresciani, Luigi Leoni, Enzo Santoni, and Gigi Zanolli.
Forty years with Gianfranco Benatti
This year, the event takes on a special meaning as it celebrates Gianfranco Benatti’s forty years of presidency. One of the club’s founding members, Benatti is a well-known and appreciated figure in the Riva community.
Other initiatives of the association
Over the years, the Bacionela Club has expanded its activities to include other festivals such as “Ovi duri e radic” during Easter and the “anguriata” on Ferragosto. In over four decades of activity, the association has raised over 180,000 euros for volunteer associations and people in need.
You can find more information here.
Italian Version
