Our Magazine

Much More Than Just Dinner
When people think of Tuscany, they immediately picture rolling hills, vineyards, medieval villages and historic cities.
All true.
But some of the most authentic experiences you can have during a holiday in Tuscany cannot be found in museums, monuments or travel guides. There is another side of Tuscany that rarely appears in tourist brochures. A Tuscany made of long outdoor tables, laughter filling village squares, children playing until late in the evening, and delicious aromas drifting from temporary kitchens set up beneath large tents.This is the Tuscany of the sagre.
For many international visitors, the concept of a sagra is difficult to translate. It is not a festival, it is not a market, and it is not simply an open-air restaurant. It is something much simpler and much more authentic. It is a community coming together to celebrate a tradition, a family recipe, a local product, or simply the pleasure of being together. And often, without even realizing it, our guests return home remembering these evenings as the most authentic moments of their Tuscan holiday.“Andare a Veglia”: When Summer Evenings Were Spent TogetherTo truly understand the soul of a Tuscan village festival, we need to take a small step back in time.
Long before television, the internet and social media, there was a tradition in the Tuscan countryside called andare a veglia.
After dinner, friends, relatives and neighbours would gather in farm courtyards, beneath vine-covered pergolas or outside the barns. They would tell stories, discuss local events, laugh together and enjoy the long summer evenings.
It did not take much.
A few chairs. A glass of wine. And the desire to be together.Modern village festivals still preserve something of that spirit.
When you sit at a long communal table next to people you have never met before, when you watch volunteers rushing between tables carrying steaming plates of food, and children playing in the square until late at night, you are experiencing a tradition deeply rooted in Tuscany's rural culture of sharing, hospitality and community.
What to Expect from a Real Tuscan Village FestivalIf you are imagining an elegant restaurant with perfectly set tables and flawless service, a sagra is probably not for you.
Village festivals are simple. Sometimes even a little chaotic.
You may find yourself standing in line at the cashier holding a small paper ticket.
You may wait for your number to be called through a crackling loudspeaker.
You may end up sitting next to a local family that has attended the same festival every summer for the past twenty years.
And that is exactly what makes it special.
You will eat at plastic tables or beneath large temporary tents.
You will smell grilled meats and slow-cooked sauces prepared according to recipes handed down through generations.
You will see mothers, grandmothers, volunteers and local associations working together for months simply to keep a tradition alive.
The food will not be "plated".
It will be plentiful. Generous. Prepared with heart. And it will taste like Sunday lunches, village celebrations and cherished family memories.Where Tuscany Truly Meets Its GuestsVillage festivals are simple, genuine and sometimes delightfully chaotic.
You might place your order at the cashier and wait for a cold beer and a perfectly roasted pork shank to magically appear at your white plastic table.
Or you might find yourself balancing a tray full of paper plates while making room among friends, children and grandparents gathered under a large marquee. There are no fixed rules. Sometimes local teenagers will be serving the tables, running back and forth with a smile, hoping to earn a few euros in tips to buy themselves an ice cream later that evening.
Other times you may find yourself sitting next to a complete stranger who, within minutes, is recommending their favourite restaurant, a hidden beach, or the village they insist you absolutely must visit the following day.
The food will not be perfectly presented. It will be abundant. Prepared by the skilled hands of local cooks, mothers and grandmothers who carefully preserve recipes passed down through generations.Perhaps the service will be a little slow.
Perhaps you will have to wait a few extra minutes.
But nobody seems to be in a hurry.
Because a sagra is not simply a place to eat. It is a place to be together. And for a few hours, you too will become part of that community.Discover the Festivals Near Your VillaTo help you find the most interesting events during your stay, we have created dedicated guides for the main areas where we operate.
Village Festivals of the Lucca Area 2026
Events and Traditions between Pistoia and Montalbano 2026 (available shortly)Village Festivals in Vicopisano, Buti and the Valdera Area 2026 (available shortly)Village Festivals of Versilia 2026 (available shortly)Each guide is regularly updated with dates, events and recommendations gathered directly by the Tuscanhouses team and the owners of our villas. Because the people who live here often know about the most beautiful local celebrations... the ones that never appear in tourist guidebooks.And very often, those are the experiences that become the most treasured memories of a holiday in Tuscany.
Have You Found Your Tuscan Home Yet?The village festivals come to an end. The lights are switched off. The squares slowly grow quiet again. But the memories of those summer evenings stay with you forever. Find the perfect villa, farmhouse or apartment for your next holiday and experience Tuscany the way locals do. Because the most beautiful memories are not only about the places you visit, but also about the place you call home during your stay.Explore Tuscanhouses Properties. Your next Tuscan story could begin right here

Tuscany Village Festivals 2026: The Tuscanhouses Guide to Experiencing Tuscany Like a Local: Read More