Valdidentro Mountain Feast: The Woodcutter’s Festival

At the end of the summer season, the Valdidentro Mountain Feast takes center stage, a two-day celebration dedicated to the mountains, their traditions and the identity of the area.

An event that brings together residents and visitors to experience the alpine world up close, with moments of sharing, culture, flavors and entertainment for all ages.

After Al dì de la Bronza, dedicated to the world of alpine pastures and agricultural tradition, the second day shines a spotlight on another element deeply tied to the history and life of our mountains: the forest and the work of the lumberjack.

The traditional Festa del Boscaiolo returns, masterfully organized by the Gruppi Pedenosso 2000, who once again bring passion, experience and great teamwork to create a day that combines competition, tradition, craftsmanship, music and good food.

A well-established event, where the knowledge and skill of lumberjacks meet the desire to spend time together and pass on to younger generations an important part of Valdidentro’s identity.

🪵 The Lumberjack Triathlon

The highlight of the day will once again be the much-anticipated Lumberjack Triathlon, starting at 09:00 a.m., featuring professional and amateur lumberjacks competing in a series of spectacular challenges.

Ax and chainsaw will take center stage in contests where strength alone will not be enough: technique, precision, speed and experience will be needed to tackle each challenge at its best and secure the final standings.

A competition that over the years has become one of the most eagerly awaited moments of the festival and allows the public to observe up close the gestures and skills tied to a profession that has accompanied mountain communities for generations.

The challenges will accompany much of the day and will continue into the afternoon, up to the final awards ceremony. 

🪚 Wood takes shape

The Festa del Boscaiolo will be about more than just competition.

Throughout the day, wood sculptors and craftsmen will be present, creating their works live in front of the public. A chance to see how a simple log can take shape through experience, creativity and manual skill and be transformed into something unique.

A presence especially connected to Valdidentro: over the years, these very craftsmen have helped create several wooden works and installations that can now be found along the cycle paths and in other parts of the area.

Adding even more to this space will be friends from the Associazione Valtellina Intagliatori e Intarsiatori, who will bring their great passion for woodworking to the festival, showcasing techniques, tools and creations.

So, not only works to admire, but above all the opportunity to watch hands at work and discover how much patience, experience and knowledge lie behind every creation. 

🧵 Traditions, craftsmanship and activities for everyone

Adding to the story of trades and manual skills will also be the Bormio Ricama Association, with activities and demonstrations open to adults and children alike.

Another way to rediscover techniques and knowledge passed down over time and, above all, to introduce younger generations to those forms of craftsmanship that are part of the culture and history of the area.

The Festa del Boscaiolo thus becomes a place where you do not simply watch, but can meet the people who carry on these passions, ask questions and observe their work up close. 

🪗 The music of Alberto and his young students

And what would a festival be without music?

Accompanying the different moments of the day will be the accordions of Alberto Canclini and his students, with a repertoire that will immediately evoke the atmosphere of village festivals and Alpine tradition.

A presence that also carries a special meaning: alongside Alberto’s experience will in fact be young musicians who are learning and continuing the passion for the accordion, helping keep alive a musical tradition deeply rooted in our mountains. 

🍽️ At 13:00, the Lumberjack Lunch

Midday will make room for one of the most convivial and eagerly awaited moments of the event.

At 13:00, everyone to the table for the traditional Lumberjack Lunch, open to all, with the cuisine and hospitality of the Gruppi Pedenosso 2000.

Lumberjack Lunch Menu

• Spring veal bites
• Grilled sausage
• Oven-baked chicken leg
• Valtellina polenta
• Mountain cheese
• Dessert

A moment to come together, share the flavors of mountain cuisine and enjoy the festival together before heading back to watch the afternoon challenges and activities.

After lunch, in fact, the day will continue with the Lumberjack Triathlon, the work of the sculptors and craftsmen, demonstrations, music and entertainment, all the way to the much-anticipated awards ceremony. 

🌲 A festival that tells the story of the bond with the forest

Beyond the spectacular nature of the challenges, the Festa del Boscaiolo above all preserves the desire to tell the story of a world that is deeply part of Valdidentro’s history.

For generations, the forest has been a place of work, a source of livelihood and an integral part of everyday life in Alpine communities. Knowing wood, being able to use tools, working safely and passing on techniques and skills meant preserving a heritage built through years of experience.

The festival makes it possible to rediscover all this in a day spent together: the sound of chainsaws and axe blows, the scent of freshly worked wood, the hands of craftsmen, the sound of accordions and the pleasure of sitting together at the table.

And it is precisely thanks to the great commitment of the Gruppi Pedenosso 2000, together with the associations, craftsmen, musicians, participants and all those who help bring the event to life, that this tradition continues to renew itself every year.

With the Festa del Boscaiolo, the Valdidentro Mountain Feast comes to a close: two different days united by the same thread, that of a community choosing to celebrate the mountains, work, its traditions and the people who continue to keep them alive.