Every year, the second Sunday of the Canepina Chestnut Days celebrations, the country fills with colors, laughter and tradition for the Canepina Donkey Race, one of the most loved events of the Chestnut Festival.
This one-of-a-kind event is a traditional horse ride that unites folklore, history and entertainment, attracting thousands of visitors from all over Italy.
And Zzapori From Grandma Hope – Year 2025
The Canepina Donkey Race It was born as a reenactment of peasant life in the early twentieth century, when the donkey was an indispensable companion in the fields and in the processing of chestnuts, a symbol of the local economy.
Today, what is called a traditional equestrian ride represents a humorous and affectionate homage to those times: a race through the village cellars, where jockeys try—often in vain!—to guide the stubborn donkeys along the route.
The beauty of the Donkey Race during the Canepina Chestnut Festival It's precisely the unpredictability. The donkeys, notoriously stubborn, often stop, turn back, or completely ignore the jockeys, much to the laughter of the large crowds lining the town streets.
It's a spontaneous, genuine show, where joy and popular participation make each edition different and unforgettable.
The Canepina Donkey Race It is one of the central events of the Chestnut Days, an event that celebrates the country's symbol with tastings, music, and ancient traditions.
The streets of the village come alive with inviting scents and the characteristic Canepina cellars, where you can taste typical dishes such as Canepinesi macaroni with ragù (Canepinese hay) he Cecilians, accompanied by local wine and chestnut-based desserts.
