Festival delle Sagre
This event is dedicated to enogastronomy and takes place in Asti on the second Sunday of September. Over 40 local tourist office (Proloco) of the province of Asti offer their specialties, accompanied by DOC wines from Asti, in a large open-air restaurant set up in Piazza Campo del Palio di Asti, where, on Saturday evening and the whole Sunday, thousands of people can sit in an old country village. On Sunday morning, a colourful procession winds through the streets of the city, led by more than three thousand in authentic period costumes, animals, tractors and farming tools, to represent the values of the rural tradition of the province.
Palio di Asti
It is a traditional festival of Asti which has medieval roots born in the context of the celebrations of the patron saint San Secondo and culminates with a bareback horse race. The feast of the patron saint, has been taking place continuously since the twelfth century. The race, which once was held during the patronal feast in the month of May and which was "al giro" through the district Maestra (the current Corso Alfieri), from 1967 has been taking place in a dedicated circuit (or "lap") on the third Sunday of September.
Douja d'Or
It is a national wine competition held every year in September in the city of Asti. The Douja is the slang term used to describe an old, pot-bellied jug typical of Piedmont. During the opening days, you can buy and taste the competition award-winning wines. The event is not only a showcase for fine wines, but an important event with exhibitions, events, meetings, concerts and a refined menu of the signature cuisine of Piedmont (signature dishes).
The Siege of Canelli
It is much more than just a historical re-enactment: it's the feast of Canelli that, reliving the past, reaffirm its strong and clear identity and regains possession of those "roots" that are fundamental for every community. It is a festival where the exact historical reconstruction comes to life thanks to the authentic popular involvement, which manages to create an atmosphere difficult to find in other historical events.
