THE CYNARA FESTIVAL 2024
Cerda celebrates the Artichoke
The capital of Sicilian artichokes prepares to welcome visitors and tourists from all over Sicily for the Cynara Festival, scheduled in Cerda from Saturday, April 20th to Sunday, April 28th. Not just a simple rendezvous with tradition, but a true national attraction brand, which includes the 42nd edition of the Artichoke Festival, a cornerstone of the entire local economy.
The Cerda Spiny Artichoke.
The Cerda Spiny Artichoke. It’s a prized cultivar, the precious vegetable, symbol of the city of Cerda. Prepared and cooked in hundreds of specialties by the skilled hands of the Ladies of the Brigade, the prince of the local agriculture will indeed be the protagonist of numerous cooking shows and tastings, alongside performances, workshops, car rallies, and various entertainments through the streets of the town. A festive moment that will animate the province of Palermo with an exceptional godmother: Giusi Battaglia, Cerda native, ready to narrate the flower of a noble and timeless land.
Cultivated in an area between Buonfornello, the Torto Valley, and the Himera Valley, during the event, the infinite variations of the Cerda Spiny Artichoke will be accompanied by a special partner, the labels of the Monreale DOC: the red wines from the production specifications of the small DOC of Palermo in an authentic celebration of flavors and knowledge.
The Program
The Cynara Festival boasts a rich program of meetings and initiatives, starting from Saturday, April 20th with an inaugural event at the Town Hall of Cerda led by Mayor Salvatore Geraci; it will be followed by art exhibitions, exquisite tastings, tributes to the Targa Florio, sessions of Mototherapy, as well as the folk music of Gazzara, the Made In Sud music, and the lively performances of the Vincenzo Bellini Band through the streets of the town, culminating in the unmissable evening dedicated to olive oil and wine on Sunday, April 21st.
The Cynara Festival will kick into high gear on Wednesday, April 24th with manual harvesting, visits to rural farms, and delightful tastings directly in the fields. The Maria Santissima dei Miracoli Band, the Sicilian Cart, exhibition stands, and refined dining options will be the highlights of the town, where every day it will be possible to experience Sicilian excellence in its most authentic nuances.
On April 25th, the climax of the Festival with the celebration of the 42nd Artichoke Festival of Cerda. The opening ceremony will see the participation of Giusi Battaglia, the godmother of this edition, and Salvo La Rosa who will lead the interventions on the main stage of the Cynara Festival, to celebrate the Artichoke in all its facets, together with the Ladies of Cerda, guardians of traditions and memories, pride of an extraordinary and timeless recipe book. Show cooking, entertainment, Burraco tournaments, videomappings dedicated to the nymph Cynara will follow, in a succession of music and dances.
Uninterrupted celebrations until Sunday, April 28th in the company of the humor of I Quattro Gusti, Uccio De Santis, Giuseppe Castiglia, and the energy of the Flag Throwers of Caccamo and Gruppo Marchesato, to end in style with the concert of Bianca Atzei. A collective event focused on conviviality and sharing of a tradition that knows no boundaries.