Set against a backdrop of elegant Art Nouveau buildings and mountains, the city celebrates two events dedicated to quality, local produce, and a passion for good food: the FarmFood Festival and the seasonal opening of the Mercato Meranese.
Two different occasions, but united by the same theme: the excellence of South Tyrolean products, the tireless work of farmers, and, last but not least, the authentic pleasure of conviviality.
FarmFood Festival – The best of South Tyrolean farms
March 14, 2026 | 10:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m.
Kurhaus in Merano
Free admission (registration on the event website: www.farmfoodfestival.it
In the splendid setting of the Kurhaus, it is time for the fourth edition of the FarmFood Festival, presented by the quality brand Gallo Rosso, Merano WineFestival, and Distretto del Cibo Alto Adige. It is no coincidence that Merano was chosen as the location for the event: historically a meeting place for peoples and cultures, but also the venue for one of the most significant events in Italian food and wine, the WineFestival.
Five areas of the South Tyrol province, ninety farmers, one guarantee: to offer only the best quality products, directly from the farms. The FarmFood Festival is the most authentic expression of this philosophy. South Tyrolean producers, specialists in processing their own raw materials, present the best of their fields, gardens, and cellars: natural products, made using traditional methods, without artificial colors or preservatives, in small quantities and with a large amount of manual labor.
The Kursaal hosts the product presentation area and provides the setting for various initiatives. The FarmFood Festival is not a fair: it is a direct encounter with those who grow, raise, and process. It is a celebration of South Tyrolean quality in its most genuine form, an experience that combines tradition, passion, and authentic flavors.
During the festival, guided tastings take the public on a sensory journey into the world of flavors, led by experts in the field. This year’s protagonists are cheese, wine, and speck: a valuable opportunity to discover the characteristics of products certified by the Gallo Rosso quality mark. Places are limited, ensuring an intimate and engaging experience.
In the galleries of the Kursaal, the show cooking of excellence brings to the stage the creative interpretation of farm products by great South Tyrolean chefs. Tina Marcelli offers her Toast Alpino, Juliane Niederstätter a Jerusalem artichoke risotto with smoked beef, Manuel Ebner organic chicken rolls with hay smoke essence, while Siegi and Matthias Augscheller present a soufflé of sautéed dumplings with mushrooms and mountain cheese foam.
Those who want to try their hand at cooking can take part in a cooking workshop with chef Thomas Ortler from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in a small, exclusive group. Participants will prepare and taste two dishes made with quality products: pink boiled meat with beetroot vinaigrette, mustard, and pickled cucumber, and cheese-filled ravioli with alpine butter and sauerkraut.
Merano Market – Naturally regional
Every Saturday from March 28 to October 31, 2026, 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Corso Libertà superiore, near Piazza della Rena
It has been a feature of Saturday mornings in the city center for over ten years: established in 2015, the Merano Market combines agriculture, craftsmanship, hospitality, and city life under the slogan “Naturally regional.”
Here you will find exclusively agricultural and artisanal products grown and made in South Tyrol, in accordance with the principles of regionality and sustainability. A market that is not only a place to shop, but also a space for meeting, storytelling, and community.
The stands, designed by internationally renowned Merano-based designer Martino Gamper, winner of the “Icon Awards Designer of the Year 2014,” give the market a unique, contemporary, and recognizable identity.
Amidst the aromas of freshly baked bread, alpine cheeses, and seasonal specialties, Merano renews its connection with the land and those who cultivate it.
