The 11th edition of Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa returns on 3 and 4 October

On 3 and 4 October the eleventh edition of Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa will take place, the open-doors weekend at farms, livestock holdings and fishing businesses across Catalonia that invites the public to discover where food comes from and meet the people and projects behind it directly. More than 250 participants from all over Catalonia are taking part this year, including over 85 farms and food producers, 25 restaurants, 110 rural accommodations and 20 side activities, figures that will keep growing over the coming weeks.

Once again, Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa returns as a meeting point for the primary sector. Over the weekend, farmers, livestock keepers and fishers will open the doors of their holdings to explain their work at first hand. The visits allow visitors to taste products and buy them directly from producers, and are complemented by food producers, restaurants serving local cuisine, rural accommodation and activities linked to the local area.

From the tourism side, Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa contributes to the goals of the “(+) Catalunya, millor turisme” strategy, encouraging Catalans to discover their own region and enjoy authentic experiences through weekend stays combining accommodation, dining and activities. It is an initiative that highlights the essence of each destination and has a positive impact on the area and its residents.

Bookings open: everything you need to plan La Festa

The public can now browse the offer for the eleventh edition and book farm visits at benvingutsapages.cat, the go-to place for planning the weekend of 3 and 4 October. The platform lets users search the available options by area, experience or type of product and check the details of each visit, so that everyone can plan their day according to their own interests.

Farm visits require advance booking and also include a symbolic fee of 2.50 euros for visitors over 15 (free for children and young people), intended to secure the place and acknowledge the effort that preparing and leading the visits involves for farmers. The website is complemented by an interactive guide bringing together more than 100 visits and experiences and covering restaurants, accommodation, additional activities and cultural and scenic recommendations. The tool broadens the planning options and makes it possible to combine a farm visit with other proposals, whether for a day out or a weekend break.

This edition already brings together more than 85 farms and producers and 250 participants

The eleventh edition of Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa features more than 85 farms and food producers and 250 participants from across Catalonia. Interested companies and organisations can still sign up through the form available on the website. Joining broadens the range of products and experiences and, at the same time, gives participating projects an opportunity to showcase their work, make direct contact with new audiences and boost sales of their products.

Among those already signed up there are proposals that reflect the diversity of Benvinguts a Pagès. At Masia Can Sunyer, in la Garriga, for example, visitors can take a close look at an agroecological market-garden project based on seasonal produce and take part in experiences linked to growing, cooking and caring for farm animals. At the Celler Cooperatiu de Cornudella de Montsant, founded in 1919 and housed in a modernist building by Cèsar Martinell, the visit offers a chance to discover how DO Montsant wines and extra virgin olive oil are made and to learn about the cooperative and farming history of the Priorat.

Dining also takes centre stage during Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa. Among the more than 25 restaurants signed up so far is Molí de Mallol, in Montblanc, where visitors can sample traditional cooking made with local produce from nearby farms, and the restaurant Castell del Remei in Penelles, which offers a privileged natural setting and locally sourced ingredients. Many visitors also take the chance to spend the whole weekend in the countryside, staying at farm accommodation. Guests can sleep at Palau del Roc, a rural farmhouse set in unspoilt countryside in the Merlès valley, or at Casa Tapiolas in Molló, a former meeting place for monks and thinkers with more than 200 years of history.

Activities are also organised to round off the weekend, such as a visit to the Museu del Torró i la Xocolata in Agramunt, ecotours in l'Ametlla de Mar to discover the wildlife and plant life around the Barranc de Santes Creus, or a tasting of DO Costers del Segre wines.

16 routes to discover Catalonia through its farming

Benvinguts a Pagès also offers the public 16 agritourism routes covering Catalonia's 43 counties that extend the experience beyond a single farm visit. The itineraries combine local produce and farming with gastronomy, accommodation, heritage, landscape and activities, and can be used either as a complete route or as inspiration for a tailor-made trip. On the Costa Brava, for example, one route crosses several counties from the Alt Empordà to la Selva and combines visits to farms and livestock holdings with the discovery of native varieties and products with designation of origin, along a journey marked by fields, woodland, natural areas and some of the most characteristic landscapes of inland Girona.

Rural accommodation connects visitors with local produce in the Berguedà

In the Berguedà, rural accommodation will also act as a link to local producers. As part of a pilot scheme promoted by the County Office of the Department of Agriculture, Livestock, Fisheries and Food and the Berguedà Development Agency, with the participation of the Berguedà Agritourism Association and the La Llar Foundation, accommodation taking part in Benvinguts a Pagès La Festa will be able to offer guests a selection of products from producers in the county over the weekend of 3 and 4 October. The initiative, linked to the «De la terra, del Berguedà» brand, aims to strengthen the connection between rural accommodation, local produce and the activities of La Festa, and to help visitors discover and consume local products. Participating accommodation will also have information about the Benvinguts a Pagès offer in the county and will be able to encourage guests to join the scheduled activities.