San Martino Ardorese 2026: St Martin's festival in Ardore Marina

Piazza Dante, Ardore Marina · Ardore, Costa Viola, Calabria

13 November 2026 – 15 November 2026

From Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026 Piazza Dante in Ardore Marina hosts the San Martino Ardorese, the autumn festival of this small town in the Locride area, devoted to local food, wine, music and community life. This year the format changes: events are no longer limited to the afternoon and late evening, as there will also be shows during dinner, and new stands with new specialities join the classic ones. The poster carries the coat of arms of the municipality of Ardore and the logos of the Pro Loco, Auser and the Youth Council. The festival takes place in the square with no entrance ticket; the detailed programme and times have not been published yet.

Dates, venue and what is new in 2026

The 2026 San Martino Ardorese runs from Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November in Piazza Dante, Ardore Marina, the seaside part of the municipality. It is the festival this small Locride town devotes to autumn traditions, local food and community life, held on the weekend after 11 November, St Martin's Day.

The poster announces three changes. The format: from this year events will not only take place in the afternoon and late evening, as there will also be entertainment during dinner. The food: new stands and new specialities join the classic ones, since food remains the festival's main draw. The partners, covered below. As of 29 October the programme, times and performers had not been published.

Organisers: municipality, Pro Loco, Auser and Youth Council

The festival is promoted by the municipality of Ardore, whose coat of arms appears on the poster next to the logos of the Pro Loco Ardore (the local tourist association), Auser (a volunteer association) and the Youth Council. The poster thanks the Pro Loco and Auser, “by our side again this year”, and welcomes the Youth Council as a new partner for its contribution to the festival.

The three-day formula with the municipality, the Pro Loco and Auser is not new: in 2024 the Calabria Region described the “San Martino Ardorese 2.0” in the same way, as three days of celebrations in Piazza Dante with a packed programme. The real change in 2026 is in the evening, with entertainment extended to dinner time.

How it began: the first edition in 2019

The San Martino Ardorese began in November 2019, the idea of Gianfranco Sorbara, then regional president of the ANAS social association, working with the municipality, cultural associations and neighbourhood committees. The first edition ran from Friday 8 to Sunday 10 November, also in Piazza Dante.

The approach was clear from the start: twenty stands and more than fifty food and drink products, with a different product at each stand to avoid duplicates, tokens to pay with and wine glasses instead of plastic. Many stands were run by the town's districts (contrade) and associations, from Pantano and Giudeo to the Marina, Schiavo and San Nicola, together with the Youth Council.

St Martin, new wine and chestnuts

On 11 November the Church remembers St Martin of Tours, the Roman soldier who, according to tradition, shared his cloak with a beggar. In the farming calendar it is the day to taste the new wine, hence the Italian saying “at St Martin's every must becomes wine”, and it often brings a few mild days, known as St Martin's summer.

In many Calabrian towns the occasion is celebrated with wine, roast chestnuts and street food, and the Ardore poster draws on exactly these images: bunches of grapes, chestnuts and barrels. The 2026 list of stands and specialities has not been released yet: if you are after a particular dish, wait for the organisers' announcement.

Admission and practical information

The sources do not mention any entrance ticket: the festival is held outdoors in the square, and you pay for what you eat and drink at the stands. 2026 prices and menus have not been announced. For information, call the Ardore municipal switchboard on +39 0964 64366; the town hall is at Via Vittorio Emanuele II 35.

In mid-November the festival is held outdoors and carries on after dinner: bring a jacket and, if the weather turns, check the municipality's and the Pro Loco's channels for any changes to the programme, which the organisers will announce.

Getting to Ardore Marina

Ardore Marina lies on the SS106 Ionian coast road, which links Reggio Calabria to the Locride area: from Reggio, follow the SS106 north-east through Melito di Porto Salvo, Bianco and Bovalino. From the A2 motorway, exit at Rosarno and take the Jonio-Tirreno expressway to Marina di Gioiosa Ionica, then head south on the SS106 through Siderno and Locri.

By train, get off at Ardore station on the Ionian railway line. The sources do not mention dedicated parking or shuttles: Piazza Dante is in the centre of Ardore Marina, so it is best to park in the nearby streets and walk to the square.

What to see in Ardore

The municipality has two sides. Ardore Superiore, the historic hill town, has a 17th-century castle on a square plan, originally with four corner towers, restored and partly open to the public, and the mother church of San Leonardo, the patron saint, founded in Byzantine times and home to an 18th-century polychrome marble altar. Nearby stands the church of San Rocco, from the early 1700s.

Ardore Marina grew up in the second half of the 19th century around the railway works of 1866-1871 and today faces a seafront promenade of about two kilometres along a wide sandy beach. In the Giudeo district is the small church of the Madonna della Marina, once the private chapel of the Gambacorta barons. More events in the events calendar.

Frequently asked questions

When is the 2026 San Martino Ardorese?

From Friday 13 to Sunday 15 November 2026. Times for each day have not been published yet.

Where does the festival take place?

In Piazza Dante, Ardore Marina, the seaside part of the municipality of Ardore, on the SS106 coast road.

Is admission free?

The sources mention no ticket: the festival is in the square and you pay for what you have at the stands. 2026 prices and menus have not been announced.

What is new this year?

There will be shows during dinner too, not just in the afternoon and late evening, and new stands with new specialities join the classic ones.

Who organises the San Martino Ardorese?

The municipality of Ardore with the Pro Loco and Auser; this year the Youth Council is also involved.

How do I get to Ardore Marina?

By car on the SS106 Ionian road, which runs through the town; from the A2, exit at Rosarno and follow the Jonio-Tirreno to the Ionian coast. By train, use Ardore station on the Ionian line.

Where can I find the full programme?

It has not been published yet. For information, call the Ardore municipal switchboard on +39 0964 64366.

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