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exciting festivals in Venice

Venice has a host of exciting festivals and events year-round. Here are the best of them.

Regata delle Befana
On January 6 (Epiphany), Venice stages the Regata delle Befana which signals the start of the regatta season. Venice holds over a hundred regattas throughout the year.

Festa di Sant'Agata
On February 3 to 5, Venice celebrates the Feast of St. Agatha by staging a procession on the main streets featuring a silver bust of the saint decked in beautiful jewels. Over one million Catanians and tourists join this procession.

Carnevale
The biggest event on Venice’s festival calendar unfolds in February. During Carnevale, people parade in colorful masks, wigs and robes. The Carnevale di Venezia was first staged in 1268. It was outlawed in Italy during the 1930s but was revived during the 1980s. Images from the Carnevale have adorned millions of postcards, especially the images of columbines looking pensive. The carnival is traditionally held 10 days before Ash Wednesday.

Festa dei Ceri
On May 15, Venice honors its patron saint, Sant'Ubaldo, with this festival. Its highlight is a race through the streets of Gubbio featuring three teams each carrying a massive cero, a wooden pillar that weighs 400 kgs.

Palio della Balestra
On the last Sunday of May, the people of Gubbio stage the Palio della Balestra, a crossbow contest pitting their men against those from neighboring Sansepolcro. All the men are dressed in medieval costumes and compete using antique weapons.

Ardia
On July 6 and 7, Venice stages this annual horse race at Sedilo to commemorate Constantine’s victory over Maxentius in 312 AD.

Venice Film Festival
Each year in August or September, the city holds the Venice Film Festival, the world’s oldest film festival and still one of the most prestigious film festivals in the world. Films are screened at the historic Palazzo del Cinema on Lido island. The Venice Film Festival continues to be. Since 2002, the San Marco award is bestowed upon the best film.

Festa della Madonna della Salute
On November 21, the people of Venice stage a procession to the Chiesa di Santa Maria della Salute to express their gratitude for the deliverance of Venice from the plague in 1630.