Yesterday, Eric and I drove to Venzone for their annual Festa della Zucca (Pumpkin Festival). Venzone has an old-town around which its ancient walls still stand, so they celebrate their medieval roots as much as they do the pumpkins. Seeing all the locals in medieval garb was a hoot, and the theatrics of the whole day were priceless, especially the part where they name "The Archduke of Pumpkins." Seriously.
Venzone is a small town cradled by the Alps on all sides, and it's easy to see why so many people flock there for the festival every year. Eric and I tried pumpkin beer and pumpkin frico. I skipped the pumpkin pizza because it had bacon on it, but Eric said it was divine.
While walking around through the crowds, we saw a 290 kilogram pumpkin (638 pounds). We saw mummies. We saw a mannequin made completely out of lavendar. And we ran into several of our friends eager to take group pictures.
Festivals in Italy don't always have a lot to offer, but they're always fun just because so many people come out for them. As the weather gets colder, the festivals will become less frequent, but next year, I plan on hitting even more, especially ones to which I've never been.
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