Each specific village in this area hosts its village festival during the summer, especially in July. There isn't an actual calendar of all the festivities, so it comes down to listening around in certain villages to find out what activities are taking place. Last year, we had no idea, but based on the fireworks echoing through the valley, we gradually figured out which village was celebrating. Each village sets off fireworks during their festivities, culminating in New Year's Eve when every village citizen simultaneously sets off fireworks at midnight. It feels like a war zone and a competition at the same time. There are a few standout events in the region, such as the Borgo a Mozzano Festival and the Jazz Festival in Barga.
When we think of a festival, we think of music, food, and drink, but the Borgo a Mozzano Festival is so much more. Every weekend in July, there are celebrations with performances by various Italian artists, ranging from pop to rock, from hip-hop to dance. Of course, there are weekends featuring major Italian artists, which draw large crowds. The festival is completely free for everyone, and the number of tourists you’ll encounter is very minimal, I would highly recommend it to every tourist as it truly embodies the essence of Italy.
The food is essentially Italian, from pizza to delicious gelato (ice cream), regional specialties, beer, cocktails, and wine to wash it all down. No one is forgotten—there's a market with jewelry, handbags, and other curiosities. There's a fair for the youth and carousels for the little ones. The main stage is central, but there is also a side event for the elderly. A ball for seniors provides an opportunity to come together, dance, enjoy music, and socialize in a festive and relaxed atmosphere. The music played is often from the attendees' younger years, such as jazz, swing, big band, and classic rock and roll. Traditional dances like waltzes, foxtrots, and other styles popular in their youth are common. It offers a great opportunity for seniors to stay socially active, meet new people, and maintain old friendships. With each musical style, a spontaneous dance begins, followed by all the dancers in perfect synchronicity.
With the hot summer temperatures, we head to the festival in the evening wearing just shorts, t-shirts, and flip-flops. We always start with an Aperol Spritz and take seats at an empty long table, gradually seeing people arrive. Friendly Italians also join us at our table. After the usual chat about the hot weather, questions come our way that we can now answer in Italian and keep the conversation going. Finally, our Italian lessons are paying off. There's a trend of many foreigners buying houses in the nearby mountain villages. Italians have mixed feelings about it; on the one hand, more foreigners are buying vacation homes, but on the other hand, it helps reduce the vacancy in mountain villages, preventing them from becoming ghost towns.
Directly across from us sits a young family with their son, who is a huge fan of Minecraft. We constantly see him gaming on his father's phone. So, we are sitting at a table with three generations: the digital generation, who are obsessed with technology; the semi-digital generation, like us, who also use technology; and the analog generation, for whom technology didn't exist.
It is still 28 degrees, and our tablemates start ordering food while we go for our second aperitif. When the pizzas are placed on the table, we see a sigh from an elderly lady, "I can never finish this." She sends her daughter for extra plates and spontaneously shares her pizza with us. As fellow villagers, we can't refuse and eat a slice of delicious pizza.
Gradually, it gets dark, and it's time to dance in front of the main stage, The DJ talks over all the tracks, reminding us of the 80s when DJs announced every next song. The crowd gets hyped up, and everyone raises their hands on his command, like a shepherd dog herding us together, and everyone follows. When an Italian classic comes on, the sliders on the mixing table occasionally go completely down, and the crowd sings along loudly.
It's time for cocktails, here, no measuring cups are used to mix the perfect cocktails; instead, the drinks are mixed by feel. We realize that having three cocktails in a row here might lead to us being carried away in higher atmospheres. It's as if the DJ has seen us standing there, and numerous dance songs from the 90s come on. We dance energetically as if we are 17 again. Sunday evening and It's far from over, and we won't be left with a Blue Monday feeling.
The Borgo a Mozzano Festival is a celebration of the rich cultural heritage and community spirit. This is the ingredient for a unique travel experience so next year come and join us in the Serchio Valley and discover the real charm of Borgo a Mozzano.
