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Festivals in Italy: 2008

Jan 1 New Year's Day Italy
Jan 6 Epiphany  (religious festival) Italy
Late Jan-early Feb Carnevale (Mardi Gras) Italy
Jan 25-Feb 5 Carnevale (Mardi Gras, www.carnivalofvenice.com) Venice
Jan 20 and 27, Feb 3, 5, and 10 Carnevale (parade with floats, www.viareggio.ilcarnevale.com) Viareggio
March 16-23 Holy Week (religious processions) Italy
March 23 Easter Sunday Italy
March 23 Explosion of the Cart (Easter Sunday; "Scoppio del Carro," fireworks, bonfire in wooden cart) Florence
March 24 Easter Monday (some closures) Italy
April 3-7 Vinitaly (wine festival; www.vinitaly.com) Verona
April 21 City Birthday Celebration (parades, fireworks) Rome
April 25 Liberation Day (some closures) Italy
April 25 St. Mark's Day (religious festival, men present roses to women they love) Venice
April 26-June 1 Florence Music Festival (www.maggiofiorentino.com) Florence
May 1 Labor Day (some closures) Italy
May 1 Ascension Day (religious festival) Italy
May 17 Annual Cricket Festival (music, entertainment, food, crickets sold in cages) Florence
May 17 Lemon Festival (third Sat in May) Monterosso (Cinque Terre)
May 25 Corpus Domini (procession on carpet of flowers) Orvieto
June  1-30 Annual Flower Display (flowers carpet main square) Florence
June 2 Anniversary of the Republic (various Italian National Day celebrations) Italy
June 17 Festival of St. Ranieri (boat races) Pisa
June 20-Aug 31 Outdoor Opera in Roman Arena (www.arena.it) Verona
June 24 St. John the Baptist Day (religious festival) Rome, Florence, Monterosso & Riomaggiore (Cinque Terre)
June 24-27 Calcio Fiorentino (costumed soccer game, fireworks, www.globeit.it/caf) Florence
June 29 Battle of the Bridge ("Gioco del Ponte," medieval festival, last Sun in June) Pisa
June 29 Saints Peter and Paul Day (religious festival, fireworks in Rome) Italy, especially Rome & Corniglia (Cinque Terre)
Late June-early Sept Outdoor Cinema Season (contemporary films) Florence
July-Aug Opera Season Verona
July 2 Il Palio (horse race, medieval parades, www.ilpalio.org) Siena
July 6 Murano Regatta (boat parade, first Sun of July) Venice
July 16 Festival of Madonna del Carmine (religious festival, fireworks) Naples
July 15-31 Festa de' Noantri (parade, fireworks, folk dances in Trastevere neighborhood) Rome
July 19-20 Feast and Regatta of the Redeemer ("Festa del Redentore," fireworks, decorated boats, third Sun in July and the previous night) Venice
Aug Musical Weeks Lake Maggiore
Aug 3 Regatta di Pellestrina (first Sun in Aug) Venice
Aug 10 St. Lawrence Day (religious festival) Rome; Manarola (Cinque Terre)
Aug 15 Feast of the Assumption (religious festival) Italy
Aug 16 Il Palio (horse race, medeival parades, www.ilpalio.org) Siena
Aug 27-Sept 6 International Film Festival (www.labiennale.org) Venice
First week of Sept Walnut Festival (games with walnuts) Monterosso (Cinque Terre)
First week of Sept Festa della Rificolona (children's procession with lanterns, street performances, parade) Florence
Sept 7 Historical Regatta (old-time boats and pageantry) Venice
Sept 13-14 Volto Santo Lucca
Sept Burano Regatta (boat parade) Venice
Sept 19 Festival of San Genarro (religious festival) Naples
Nov 1 All Saints' Day (religious festival, some closures) Italy
Nov Musica dei Popoli Festival (Ethic and folk music and dances, www.festivaldeipopoli.org) Florence
Nov 21 Feast of Our Lady of Good Health (religious festival, Venetian "Thanksgiving," bridge built over Grand Canal) Venice
Dec Christmas Market on Piazza Navona Rome
Dec 7 St. Ambrose Day (religious festival, also the official opening of opera season at La Scala) Milan
Dec 8 Feast of the Immaculate Conception (religious festival, some closures) Italy
Dec 25 Christmas Italy
Dec 26 St. Stephen's Day (religious festival, some closures) Italy