The Slow Food Convivium of Bagheria, with the collaboration of the Museo dell’Acciuga di Aspra and the patronage of the Municipality of Bagheria, is organising the first edition of the Villaggio del Gusto (Taste Village) from Friday 20 December to Sunday 22 December. This will be three intense days of events, shows, tastings, show cooking, gastronomic workshops, entertainment, and the sale of gastronomic and craft products.
Inaugurating the event on Friday 20 December at 5 p.m. will be Valerio Barone, president of the Slow Food Condotta of Bagheria, and Michelangelo Balistreri, creator and owner of the Anchovy Museum located in the seaside village of Aspra. Institutional greetings will be given by the Mayor of Bagheria, the Hon. Filippo Maria Tripoli, and the president of the municipal council, Andrea Sciortino.
Antonella Insinga, councillor for Public Education, and Francesco Gurrado, councillor for Tourism, will attend. This will be followed by the ‘Christmas in music’ show with the I.C. Carducci Gramsci choir, the Mozzarella & Burrata live gastronomic workshop, and ‘Stars at Christmas’ led by Rachele Barbaccia, who will involve young visitors in manipulative activities. It ends in music with Christmas songs performed by the small Orchestra of the I.C. Falcone Borsellino, Italian Songs with Ivan Bartolone, and the tribute to Adriano Celentano by Adrian band.
Qualified the programme of show-cooking that will be conducted by journalist Michele Balistreri: starting on Friday at 5.30 pm, chef Fabio Potenzano, patron-chef of the restaurant-pizzeria ‘Tutti a Tavola’ in Bagheria. On Saturday it will be the turn at 6.00 pm of Claudio Oliveri, owner of Ristorante Oliveri 1964 with its ‘Km 0’ products, followed by the pastry chef Andrea Novello and the chef and authorised truffle hunter Domenico Pipitone, both from the Aurora Study Centre, who will present the salted panettone and sweet panettone with Sicilian truffles. While on Sunday 22 at 5.15 pm, the star chef will be Nino Ferreri of the LIMU restaurant in Bagheria.
Protagonists, on all days of the event weekend, will be the producers who will exhibit and sell their products: Barunieddu, Caseificio Biddeci, Amari siciliani, Cuttia (with Terre di Entella products, Torrone Tentazioni e sapori, and Luca Cammarata goat cheeses), the Riccardo Buonsignore farm, Vino Sancarraro, and finally handicrafts with Trinakrìa Atelier, the artist painter Silvana Lanza, the Parafarmacia Ohana, and Francesco Bellante with his works made with shells.
Every day from 7.00 pm, the Food Court will be open with Sicilian Street Food by Ciccio Eventi, pizzas and sfincioni by 2 Compari, express pasta for everyone and sfincioni for coeliacs by Officine del gusto di Nicola Macchiarella, and finally Christmas sweets by Bar Lorenzini.
On Saturday 21, the morning programme includes a free chess game organised by ASD Pedoni Uniti, and in the afternoon entertainment with the Sounds of Christmas with Andrea Sirna’s bagpipes and all-female Swing with Flora Faia and Les Florettes.
In the evening, there will be a dinner with Slow Food presidia with a menu by CUTTIA Cucina & Putia (tickets must be booked in advance).
On Sunday 22, in the morning, the workshop ‘Facciamo la ricotta’ (Let’s make ricotta cheese) organised by the Cefala’ Diana dairy with tasting and sale, “L’ora della merenda” (snack time) with Ciccio eventi, and the show from Sicily to Argentina with Tamburelli, Pizzica and Tango by the ASD Olimpia World Dance group. In the afternoon, the Village will open to the drum roll of Nicolò La Licata, followed by Tea & Herbal Teas by Parafarmacia Ohana and the Cenacolo Letterario di Cefalù and its poetic harmonies. It will close with the Street Band and Itinerant Jugglers coming to the Village and the tribute to Mango by Passionika.
During all the opening hours of the Taste Village it will be possible to: 1) buy and taste 0 km products, 2) buy your Christmas gifts 3) take part in workshops and show cooking, 4) visit the following sections of the Anchovy Museum exhibition, ‘Un mare di gratta e vinci’ works made with Emilio Costanzo’s scratch cards, ‘Art memory’ travelling exhibition of 100 artist’s ties by Calapanama, ‘Il legno racconta’ exhibition of sculptures by master Francesco Maglio, “Sard’art” works of art created by one hundred artists on pieces of boats worn out by the sea, “Le finestre e le musiche del mare” by Nino Cazzetta, the “Mostra fotografica” by Domenico and Giovan Battista Balistreri, and the “Mostra di Pittura” by Mariella Raimondo.
Here are the opening hours of the Food Village with the sale of food and wine and craft products: Friday from 5 to 10 pm, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 1 pm and from 5 to 10 pm.
Various qualified professionals will contribute to the success of the event: Rosellina Mantini from Slow Food Bagheria will take care of the logistics of the event, Chiara Audia, secretary of the Slow Food Bagheria Convivium Committee, will take care of the presentation of choirs and artistic performances, Valerio Barone, President of the Slow Food Bagheria Convivium will coordinate the organisation, Michelangelo Balistreri will take care of the museum visits, Angela Maria Guzzo will take care of the logistics of the cooking shows, Maurizio Giliberto of Singsicily will provide technical support to Les Florettes, and journalist Michele Balistreri will present the show-cooking. The hosting service will be taken care of by the students of the Aurora Study Centre.