The Cork Fair in Cassà de la Selva (Fira del Tap i el Suro) follows cork from the forest to the bottle: stripping the cork oaks in the Gavarres hills, the craft of making stoppers and the glass of wine or cava that seals it all. It takes place over a weekend in June and is one of the most distinctive fairs in the province of Girona.
From Can Micos it is 19 km, about 20 minutes by car, so many of our groups combine it with their weekend at the farmhouse. In this guide we tell you what not to miss, what we recommend and how to plan your visit.
| When | A weekend in June, Friday to Sunday (2026: 12 to 14 June) |
| Where | Cassà de la Selva: Passeig Vilaret, Plaça de la Coma and the Sureda de Can Vilallonga |
| Entry | Free; some tastings and workshops are paid or need booking |
| From Can Micos | 19 km, about 20 minutes by car |
| Organised by | Cassà de la Selva town council |
What is the Cork Fair?
The first edition was in 2017 and it has since grown to around forty activities over three days. The idea is to show the whole cork circuit: from the cork oak woodlands of the Gavarres to the stopper factories of Cassà, and from there to the table, with wines and cavas sealed with corks made in the town.
There are craft demonstrations, tastings, workshops, concerts, a crafts and food market and a community dinner. The heart of the fair is the Passeig Vilaret, and the cork stripping takes place in a woodland on the edge of town.
What we recommend
If you only have a morning or an afternoon, these are the three things we would not miss.
Cork stripping
- Saturday and Sunday
- 8:00
Watching a cork stripper take the bark off a cork oak with an axe, without harming the tree, is the most authentic part of the fair. It happens at the Sureda de Can Vilallonga and ends with the strippers’ breakfast.
Photo: Nocampo, CC BY-SA 3.0
Wine and cava tastings
- DO Empordà
- Limited places
Tastings of Empordà wines and cava built around the cork stopper. Places are limited, so it is worth booking in the programme as soon as it is published.
Photo: Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0
Cassà Destapa
- Tapas route
- All weekend
The tapas route through the bars and restaurants in town that take part in the fair. It is the best way to explore Cassà with a group and graze your way around.
Photo: Josep Maria Viñolas Esteva, CC BY-SA 4.0
More activities at the fair
The programme changes every year, but these activities come back edition after edition (2026 times as a guide).
| Activity | When | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Cork strippers’ breakfast | Saturday and Sunday, 9:00 | After the stripping |
| Cork workshops | Saturday and Sunday mornings | Families with children |
| Children’s show and family concert | Friday afternoon and Saturday morning | Children |
| Vermouth concerts | Saturday and Sunday, midday | Everyone |
| Xic-Xec community dinner | Saturday evening | Groups, booking needed |
| Crafts and food market | All weekend | Everyone |
Cork in Cassà de la Selva
The cork industry arrived in Cassà in the 18th century and shaped the town for generations. The old stopper makers worked with just two machines, one to slice the cork and one to bore the stoppers, and sorting the cork, a very delicate job, was almost always done by women. Today the town’s factories produce on a large scale with modern technology, but the cork still comes from the cork oak woodlands of the Gavarres.
Stripping is done in summer, from Midsummer to late July, when the tree releases its bark without suffering. A cork oak cannot be stripped again for around nine years, which is why freshly stripped trunks look reddish in the woods.
Photo: Carsten Niehaus de:Korkeiche, CC BY-SA 3.0
Photo: gailhampshire from Cradley, Malvern, U.K, CC BY 2.0
What to see in Cassà de la Selva
Cassà is a town of around 11,000 people in the Gironès area, at the foot of the Gavarres hills, where the plain starts climbing towards the massif. It was first recorded in the year 914, and by the late 19th century it was one of the great cork centres of Catalonia: in 1884 it employed more than a thousand people and it came to have 46 stopper factories, largely thanks to the boom in champagne.
It is worth a stroll before or after the fair:
| What to see | Why |
|---|---|
| Church of Sant Martí | Gothic, 16th century, with Renaissance details on the façade and Romanesque remains |
| Torre Salvana | Tower from the early 16th century |
| Porxos de les Mesures | Arcades in the old town |
| Modernista houses | Scattered around the town centre |
| Parc Art | Open-air museum of contemporary sculpture |
| Puig del Castell | Remains of an Iberian settlement |
| Weekly market | Wednesdays |
And if you want more forest, the Gavarres start on the edge of town, with paths through the cork oaks that you can walk or cycle.
Tips for going with a group
For the cork stripping you need an early start: it begins at 8:00 in the woodland, outside the centre, so go by car and wear comfortable shoes. The tastings and the Xic-Xec dinner have limited places; if you are a big group, book as soon as the programme comes out. And since Can Micos is only 20 minutes away, you can watch the stripping in the morning, do the Cassà Destapa route at lunchtime and be back at the pool in the afternoon.
Can Micos: your base for the Cork Fair
Can Micos is an 18th-century Catalan farmhouse in Riudarenes (Girona) rented in full to groups of 16 to 25 people, 19 km from Cassà de la Selva. In June, when the fair takes place, the pool is already open and the 4,000 m² garden and covered barbecue area are the best place to round off the day. And if you would rather not cook, we offer a catering option.
We are Carmen and Dani and we have been welcoming groups for 26 years; we will help you organise your stay.
- 9 bedrooms: 8 with private bathroom
- Dining room for up to 30 people
- Lounge of 60 m² with fireplace
- Enclosed garden of 4,000 m²
- Pool 9×4 m (April–October)
- Covered barbecue area of 115 m²
4.8 out of 5 on Google, with more than 220 reviews from groups who have stayed.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Cork Fair in Cassà de la Selva?
It takes place over a weekend in June, from Friday to Sunday. In 2026 the 9th edition ran from 12 to 14 June. Each year’s dates are announced by Cassà de la Selva town council.
Is entry free?
Walking around the fair, the stalls and the demonstrations is free. Some tastings, workshops and the community dinner are paid or have limited places that need booking.
Where and when is the cork stripping?
At the Sureda de Can Vilallonga, a cork oak woodland on the edge of Cassà, on Saturday and Sunday at 8:00. It is followed by the cork strippers’ breakfast.
Is it good for children?
Yes. There are cork workshops (bracelets, bookmarks, cork paper), a children’s show and a family concert, and children usually love watching the cork stripping.
Where can a large group stay nearby?
Can Micos is in Riudarenes, 19 km and about 20 minutes from Cassà de la Selva. It is an 18th-century farmhouse rented in full to groups of 16 to 25 people, with the pool open in June.
What else is there to see in Cassà de la Selva?
The Gothic church of Sant Martí, the Torre Salvana tower, the Mesures arcades, the modernista houses, the Parc Art open-air sculpture museum and the Iberian settlement of Puig del Castell. And the Gavarres hills start right on the edge of town.
Coming to the Cork Fair?
Tell us your dates and how many you are and we will help you plan the weekend: rooms, meals and things to do for the whole group.
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