Agrivarese returns to Angera: agricultural fair on October 11

Context

TL;DR

• On Sunday, October 11, Agrivarese comes to Angera's lakeside promenade
• The event will be open from 9 to 19
• More than 40 businesses, animals and tastings are on the program
• Organized by the Chamber of Commerce and the Municipality of Angera

Key facts

• Event → Agrivarese by the lake
• Date → Sunday, October 11
• Location → Angera lakeside promenade
• Time → from 9 to 19
• Registered businesses → 42
• Organizers → Camera di Commercio di Varese and Comune di Angera

The event on Lake Maggiore

The second edition in 2026 of the Varese agricultural fair will bring Agrivarese to Lake Maggiore: on Sunday, October 11, the Angera lakeside promenade will host the event from 9 to 19.

The event is organized by the Camera di Commercio di Varese and the Comune di Angera, together with trade associations in the agricultural sector. The program combines agricultural businesses with animals, workshops for children, tastings and a conference dedicated to the mountains. The aim is to promote local agricultural production and encourage families, children and young people to become familiar with the world and professions of agriculture.

The event also supports the idea that the local area should consume what it produces. According to the organizers, shortening the distance between production and consumption means reducing transportation and energy consumption, as well as protecting green spaces and local traditions. Agrivarese is therefore presented as a day dedicated to local products and learning about agricultural activities.

The president of the Camera di Commercio di Varese, Mauro Vitiello, explained that the return to Angera brings several new features, some of which had already been presented in this year's editions. He described Agrivarese as a fair, but also as a way of representing the area's agriculture and bringing it closer to the people who live there, as well as to guests from farther afield.

In his remarks, Vitiello highlighted the value of zero-kilometer products and the need to make the quality of the produce recognizable, from honey to other agricultural products. He also thanked the staff of the Camera di Commercio, the associations involved, the mayor of Angera and the municipal administration for making the initiative possible. The twice-yearly format, he added, following the initial reservations about its possible impact on the public, is considered a course worth pursuing.

Operational details

An event linked to Angera's history

The livestock show and the agricultural past

The mayor of Angera, Marcella Androni, gave a positive assessment of the event and thanked the Chamber of Commerce. In her remarks, she also mentioned councilor Christian Marzetta, who worked on organizing the event with responsibility for culture, and Navigazione, which made services between Angera and Arona available every half hour that day.

The lake connection was presented by the mayor as a sign of unity between two regions and two cities. Androni also explained that the autumn setting on the lakeside promenade suits the event: the space is suitable for the event and allows the area's agri-food production to be displayed.

For the mayor, Agrivarese evokes a tradition already rooted in local history. The initiative is in fact linked to the livestock show organized in the last century by the Municipality and agricultural associations, a day when local products were brought and displayed. Promoting those products also serves to shorten the supply chain and bring agricultural work back into public awareness.

Androni observed that, in the current situation, agricultural work could offer greater satisfaction than other activities. She also recalled that until the 1950s, agriculture was one of the pillars of the city's economy. The historical reference dates back to 1497, when Ludovico il Moro granted Angera city status, mainly so that it could have a market and two agricultural exhibitions.

Anna Deligios, secretary general of the Varese Chamber of Commerce, described Agrivarese as an established format. As she explained, attendees look for farm animals, performances, the mycological exhibition and, above all, the agricultural businesses present.

For this edition, 42 agricultural businesses have registered. In the Varese edition, Deligios recalled, with a caveat about her memory, there were 34. The Chamber of Commerce interprets this figure as a sign of the appeal that Angera's venue also has for agricultural businesses. The presence of the businesses therefore remains the central point of an event that brings together local products, civic memory and direct contact with the public.

Key points

Schools, local products and activities along the lakeside

What's new in the program

Among the announced new features is collaboration with some schools. The students have designed a striking installation, an arch intended to symbolically represent the entrance to the event. The Chamber of Commerce highlighted the value of bringing together young people studying agriculture and farming businesses.

There will also be sessions presenting local products curated by Associazione Viticoltori Varesini, Consorzio di tutela della Formaggella del Luinese and Consorzio Qualità Miele Varesino. The sessions have limited capacity, with a maximum of 25 people each; registration and information are available on the event website.

Local dishes will be offered by producers from Mercato Coperto di Varese together with several local associations: Associazione Canottieri De Bastiani, Comitato genitori di Angera, Amici della Bruschera, Gruppo Alpini di Angera and Associazione Gido Mobiglia Onlus, which will organize the chestnut festival.

Another area will be dedicated to the Gluten Free Point. The organizers' stated aim is to discuss gluten-free products and the difficulties faced by those looking for a restaurant with a specific offering and processes capable of preventing contamination.

The Schools Area, designed for young people interested in entering the agricultural workforce, will allow them to engage with the agricultural vocational institute in Lesa, the training agency of the Province of Varese and the Newton institute. A gravel ride starting from Angera and following a route through scenic locations is also planned; places are limited for this activity too.

The day will also retain the elements that, according to the Chamber of Commerce, characterize the format: farm animals, performances, the mycological exhibition and farms. Tastings and a conference dedicated to the mountains will also be added. In terms of connections, Navigazione has scheduled Angera-Arona services every half hour for Sunday, complementing the lakeside event with a connection between the two cities.

Source: varesenews.it