On Friday, September 12, and Saturday, September 13, the Adventure Outdoor Fest will bring the Parco del Laghetto del Ponte Sospeso in San Marcello Piteglio (PT) to life with a series of unmissable free events blending culture, performance, and outdoor spirit. From conversations with mountain authors to travel reports from remote lands, and artistic performances under the stars, the festival offers a vibrant glimpse into the passion for adventure and the mountains.

Friday, September 12

The evening opens at 6:15 pm with Dario Pedrotti, an athlete and writer from Trentino who combines mountain running with storytelling. Author of the new book Sulle orme dei giganti (Terre di Mezzo, 2025), Pedrotti shares a compelling first-person account of his experiences in some of the most iconic ultra-trail races, told with a direct and self-ironic style. His humble, reflective approach to the mountains—he defines trail running as a “form of meditation in motion”—makes his stories both authentic and inspiring, reminding us that even the most extreme challenges are not heroic feats compared to the everyday struggles we all face. This meeting will be an opportunity to explore the inner side of endurance and life in the outdoors.

At 7:00 pm the spotlight turns to Francesco “Frank” Lotta, radio host (Radio Deejay) and passionate traveler, presenting his book Patagonia – A Bike Journey to the Ends of the World. Co-authored with Paolo Penni Martelli and Willy Mulonia, the book is a true love letter to Patagonia and to adventure in the most remote corners of the planet. Lotta will recount the nearly 1,000-km cycling expedition from El Calafate to Ushuaia, riding through the majestic Perito Moreno glacier and the fierce winds of Tierra del Fuego. More than a sporting feat, it was an emotional and spiritual journey: through words and photography, the book explores what drives humans to push to the “End of the World,” confronting cold and emptiness, and how the solitude of those extreme landscapes can transform into a profound connection with nature and with oneself.

At 8:00 pm the stage turns to music and art with “Verde, suoni e voci d’Appennino” (“Green, Sounds, and Voices of the Apennines”), a live performance blending poetic narration and soundscapes. Poet, photographer, and “seeker of lost places” Emiliano Cribari will give voice to the Apennines through his texts and stories, while electronic songwriter Muni (Lorenzo Meazzini) will weave them into a live-created musical texture. Word and sound meet on stage: Cribari’s voice will guide the audience through imaginary forests and trails, accompanied by Muni’s atmospheres, built with both acoustic and electronic instruments. The result will be a sensory journey into the green soul of the Apennines, where music and the sounds of nature merge to awaken deep emotions and the call of the mountains.

Saturday, September 13

The Saturday program comes alive at 6:00 pm with Maurizio Serafini and his Bagpipe and Globetrotter Concert. A multifaceted explorer, environmental guide, and musician with nearly 40 years of career, Serafini leads the audience on a poetic, spirited journey inspired by his memoir of the same name. His performance traverses the restless 1970s, the roads of Europe, the sounds of folk, and the heart of rebellious dreamers. From Italian villages with scratched vinyls to Irish pubs and the oases of the Sahara, Serafini shares the story of a lifelong traveler carried by music. With his bagpipes on stage, he blends storytelling with Celtic-folk melodies, celebrating the liberating power of creativity and cultural encounters. The performance will also feature songs from the Montelago Celtic Festival community—“the nomadic city” he co-founded—symbolizing how music can create community and give voice to a boundless spirit of freedom.

At 7:00 pm all eyes turn skyward for the Aerial Circus Show, a breathtaking acrobatic performance beneath the iconic Suspension Bridge. Without a stage, immersed in the natural setting, artists will perform aerial silk dances, illuminated poi, hula hoop acts, acro-dance, and daring slackline walks. The bridge and surrounding forest become the backdrop of an open-air circus. Balance, elegance, and adrenaline come together in a show that promises to leave the audience literally holding their breath.

At 7:45 pm it’s time for theater with “Eustachia BonTon”, a witty, unconventional monologue on the theme of “female challenges.” Created and performed by Venetian actress Wendy Muraro, Eustachia was born from a blog launched in 2014, where Muraro published 366 mini-stories (the “rules” of Eustachia) about learning to live happily by facing everyday life with irony. Specially adapted for Adventure Outdoor Fest, the performance will make audiences laugh, reflect, and even get emotional, offering surreal yet wise advice on how to survive the ups and downs of life. For Eustachia, resilience means finding humor in mishaps and turning them into opportunities for growth and personal redemption.

The day culminates at 9:00 pm with a special event: “La Restanza & Endless Peaks”, an encounter with Francesco Tomé exploring the profound bond between humans and mountains. Tomé, a young trail runner and filmmaker, has just returned from his extraordinary Endless Peaks expedition: 60 days of running and trekking across the entire Alpine arc, covering 2,500 km and 165,000 meters of elevation gain, from Mount Vrata in Croatia to the Colle di Cadibona in Liguria. This epic journey—soon to become a documentary with the support of the Italian Alpine Club—saw him traverse the Alps solo, chasing a dream at the limits of human endurance. At Adventure Outdoor Fest, Tomé will share the emotions, challenges, and unforgettable moments of Endless Peaks, describing what it means to “disappear” into the mountains for two months in pursuit of freedom. He will also present his award-winning documentary La Restanza – Mountain Stories between Tuscany and Emilia, which has filled theaters at every screening. The film offers a cinematic journey through the Tuscan-Emilian Apennines and the Apuan Alps, portraying men and women who have chosen to remain in the highlands, resisting depopulation out of love for their mountains. With its slow rhythms, farming life, and lack of services, the documentary captures a silent yet radical form of resistance: turning the choice to stay—rather than leave—into an act of love and care for the highlands. It will be an emotionally powerful event, closing the weekend with the reminder that the greatest adventures can also happen “at home,” in the mountains we choose to live in and protect.