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VICENZA FOOD FESTIVALS · OCTOBER 2026
A Norwegian voyage in 1432. An Italian cod gala in 2026.
: slow cooked bacalà alla vicentina, golden polenta, traditional gargati pasta and four days devoted to eating exceptionally well.
A Venetian shipwreck in 1432, a Lofoten island in the Arctic and a culinary tradition that Vicenza has cherished for centuries. Pietro Querini’s encounter with stockfish on the Lofoten Islands is part of the extraordinary history behind *bacalà alla vicentina*. This October, Thiene celebrates that connection with its 62nd Polenta and Stockfish Festival, opening with the Grand Stockfish Gala and continuing with local specialities, music and crafts in the park of Villa Fabris.
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Claudio Gioseffi, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Know before you go
THE GRAND GALA · FESTIVAL HIGHLIGHTS · THE LOFOTEN CONNECTION · PLAN YOUR VISIT
A Norwegian voyage in 1432. An Italian cod gala in 2026.
From 23 to 26 October 2026, Thiene, in the province of Vicenza, celebrates the 62nd Sagra dea Poenta e Bacalà, its traditional Polenta and Stockfish Festival, at Villa Fabris. Four days dedicated to one of Vicenza’s most famous recipes, with a gala dinner, traditional food tastings, new interpretations of local dishes, live music and an artisan market. And behind the celebrations is an extraordinary culinary connection with Norway’s Lofoten Islands.
Friday 23 October: The Grand Stockfish Gala
The festival opens at 8 pm with the 25th Gran Galà del Bacalà, a special dinner featuring several interpretations of Vicenza’s beloved stockfish.
The menu includes pizza topped with creamed stockfish and aubergine, fried seafood with citrus mayonnaise, and gargati, a traditional short, ridged pasta from Vicenza, served with cod, parsley and chives. The main course is the classic Bacalà alla Vicentina with polenta, followed by Treccia di Signorini, a traditional sweet speciality from Thiene, served with zabaglione cream.
The gala takes place in a heated pavilion at Villa Fabris. Reservations are required, with tickets priced at €70 per person.
The Polenta and Stockfish Festival: 24 to 26 October
The weekend brings traditional Vicenza food, local crafts and music to the park of Villa Fabris.
The 2026 food highlights include Gargati al Bacalà, a new interpretation of the traditional gargati al consiero, normally prepared with a rustic meat and vegetable sauce, and the Nuvola, Ottavo Vizio, a pizza created by Thiene’s Pizzeria La Rotonda, with creamed stockfish and spicy aubergine.
Saturday 24 October From 2 pm to midnight, traditional Bacalà alla Vicentina tastings, takeaway food and a local artisan market. At 8:30 pm, live music with the JuniOrchestra. Takeaway service is also available from 10 am to 1 pm.
Sunday 25 October From 10 am to 9 pm, traditional food tastings and takeaway service continue. The artisan market opens at 11 am.
Monday 26 October From 9 am to 1 pm, the festival concludes with a takeaway stand on Corso Garibaldi, during Thiene’s weekly market.
Why Vicenza’s famous cod comes from Norway
In 1432, Venetian merchant Pietro Querini survived a shipwreck and reached Røst, in Norway’s Lofoten Islands. There he encountered stockfish, Atlantic cod preserved by drying naturally in the Arctic coastal air. The voyage became part of the history of Bacalà alla Vicentina, one of the most celebrated traditional dishes of Veneto.
There is also a linguistic curiosity: in Vicenza, bacalà refers to dried stockfish, although baccalà generally means salted cod elsewhere in Italy. Nearly six centuries after Querini’s arrival in Norway, Thiene is still celebrating the recipe.
READ THE RECIPE OF PATIENCE: FROM LOFOTEN TO VICENZA →
Plan your visit
Dates: 23 to 26 October 2026 Location: Villa Fabris Park, Thiene, Vicenza, Italy.
Friday gala: 23 October, 8 pm. Information: +39 392 023 5662
Gala reservations: galabaccala.prolocothiene@gmail.com
Festival: Traditional food tastings on Saturday and Sunday, with Monday morning takeaway at the weekly market.
Sources
- Pro Loco Venete · Eventi Thiene Ottobre 2026
- Il Borghista · Gran Galà del Baccalà 2026
- Eccellenze Venete · Gargati
- Visit Norway · 13 fun facts about stockfish