Close your eyes for a second. Imagine the scent of strawberries in the air as you walk down a narrow village street. Two-meter-tall floats, covered in red strawberries from top to bottom. Whipped cream slowly sliding into a plastic cup. The music growing louder as you approach the square. This is Carchitti in May, and this year its most anticipated festival returns:the 46th edition of the Strawberry Festival, with free admission and DJ Prezioso as a special guest.
Mark your calendar: May 9, 10, 16, and 17, 2026.
The Carchitti Strawberry Festival is one of the longest-running spring events in Lazio, with over forty years of history behind it. Organized by Pro Loco Carchitti-Valvarino with the support of the Lazio Region and the Municipality of Palestrina.
Forty-six years of history in a village in the Prenestini Mountains
Forty-six editions don’t happen by chance. The Carchitti Strawberry Festival has spanned decades of the Prenestino region’s history, changing in form but not in substance: the square comes alive, producers display their harvest, and the community gathers.
From the first peasant celebrations to costume parades, from hand-decorated floats to evening concerts, each edition has written a piece of local history, keeping alive that bond between the land and those who work it.
The Carchitti strawberry is no ordinary strawberry. The hilly terrain of the Prenestini Mountains, with its sun exposure and soil composition, gives these small fruits a flavor and sweetness that have made them famous throughout Lazio.
It’s one of those events near Rome that doesn’t need to reinvent itself every year to fill the square. It works because it’s genuinely wonderful.
The complete program for the 2026 Carchitti festival
Four jam-packed days, designed for everyone, with a program that blends tradition, entertainment, and music. Here’s what you’ll find in Carchitti this year:
- Food stands featuring traditional Lazio dishes and local products, open from the afternoon until late evening.
- Strawberries with cream, the irresistible combo. Carchitti’s strawberries are small, very sweet, and incredibly fragrant: the kind of thing you won’t find at the supermarket.
- A gluten-free stand will be open every day, dedicated to those with celiac disease. No one is excluded from the festival.
- A parade of floats covered in fresh strawberries: it’s a spectacle worth the trip alone.
- DJ set with Prezioso on May 9. A special guest of exception in a village square: it’s not a combination you see every day.
- Live music performances on other evenings, for those who stay out late.
- Kids’ area with activities and games throughout the festival.
- Traveling performances along the town’s streets: the entire village becomes a stage.
- Tasting and sale of fresh strawberries, artisanal jams, desserts, and liqueurs.
How to get there from Rome?
From Rome, it takes about 40–50 minutes by car, depending on where you’re starting from. The most direct route is the A1 highway (Rome–Naples), taking the San Cesareo or Valmontone exit, then heading toward Palestrina and Carchitti.
Alternatively, you can take the Via Casilina (SR6), which is more scenic but slightly longer.
Carchitti isn’t easily accessible by public transportation: this is one of those day trips from Rome where a car—or an organized ride—makes all the difference. If you’re a group, even better.
What you absolutely need to know before you go
- Free admission every day, no tickets required.
- Plan ahead for parking on the busiest weekends, especially on May 9 with DJ Prezioso.
- The evenings come alive in the latter part of the day. Plan to stay until after dinner.
- For the updated program and the latest news, follow the official channels of Pro Loco Carchitti-Valvarino.
Carchitti Festival: Is it really worth the trip?
If you’re looking for festivals near Rome that still have a genuine soul—not the tourist-trap events designed for hit-and-run visitors—this is one of the most authentic you’ll find within a 50-kilometer radius of the capital.
It has over forty years of history, a community that truly believes in it, and an atmosphere that’s hard to capture in an Instagram story without seeming a little bit in love with the place.
You’ll go if you want a getaway that isn’t the usual trip to the Castelli, if you’re looking for a stress-free place to take the kids, if you’re gluten-intolerant and want to eat without worry, or simply if you want to see DJ Prezioso play for free in a village square—which is exactly the kind of unlikely yet perfect combination that makes certain weekends unforgettable.
The only catch: you’ll need a car. But just 40 minutes from Rome, it’s definitely worth the trip.
When and where does the most beautiful Strawberry Festival in Lazio take place?
The festival takes place over two consecutive weekends: Saturday, May 9, and Sunday, May 10, followed by Saturday, May 16, and Sunday, May 17, 2026.
Everything takes place in Carchitti, a hamlet of Palestrina (RM), nestled among the Prenestini Mountains, about 35 km from the Grande Raccordo Anulare.
💶 Admission: Completely free.
📍Address: Via Vittorio Veneto 2, Carchitti (Palestrina, RM)
🕐 Hours: From the afternoon until late evening
