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Religious festivals

When	Province	Town	What
January	Catania	Acicastello	St Mauro festival
January	Catania	Viagrande	St Mauro festival
January	Catania	Aci Sant'Antonio	St. Anthony festival
January	Catania	Camporotondo Etneo	St. Anthony festival
January	Catania	Misterbianco	St. Anthony festival
January	Catania	Nicolosi	St. Anthony festival
January	Catania	Maniaci	St. Anthony festival
January	Catania	Acireale	St. Sebastian festival
January	Palermo	Bisacquino	"Visitazione di lu Bamminu" (Visit to the Holy Child)
January	Palermo	Prizzi	St. Anthony festival
January	Trapani	Marsala	Festival of Madonna della Cava (the Virgin of the Grotto)
February	Catania	Catania	St. Agata: in the morning of the 3rd, the "candelore", Baroque pillars made of wood are put inside the Cathedral; in the middle of each there are 4 big candles and are decorated with flowers, ribbons and lights. There are 11 candelore, as many as they after the earthquake of 1693, that destroyed Catania. In the evening, in front of the Cathedral singers from all the different parts of the town gather and sing hymns.
February	Trapani	Salemi	St. Biagio Festival - Bread Festival: bread is made in the shape of cudduredda, small breads reminding of the throat, of cavadduzzi, representing the grasshoppers that invaded the fields in 1542, and of manina di San Brasi (the hand of the Saint with his stick).
March	Catania	Ramacca	St Joseph Festival
March	Trapani	Salemi	St. Joseph Altars (Sunday after the 19th). The streets of Salemi are decorated with "altars" made of wood and covered with coloured fabrics, lights, laurel and myrthle, oranges, lemons and breads in the shape of angels, Virgins, Jesus, St Joseph, etc
April	Catania	Adrano	The Holy Week rituals with Devils and Angels in procession
April	Catania	Bronte	Holy Friday: Celebration of the Passion and Death of Jesus. The streets become a lively stage populated of characters and thousands of spectators.
April	Trapani	Trapani	Trapani's Mysteries (Holy Week): The Mysteries are statues reproducing with incredibly strength the scenes of Jesus's Passion and Death. These statues, belonging to the city guilds, date back to the XVII century. They are brought in Procession along the streets of Trapani from the afternoon of the Holy Friday to the morning of Saturday, held by the members of the different guilds dressed in black. Musical bands accompanies the procession. It's an extremely impressive and involving performance.
May	Catania	Calatabiano	St. Philip Siriacus (17 and 18). From Mt Castello, where the saint fought the devil, people carry a statue weighing more than 10 quintals along a very steep road, down to the Cathedral of the town. On this occasion people eat roasted lamb.
May June	Catania	Caltagirone	The Virgin of Conadomini (during the whole month celebrations take place). On the 21st of May and on the 4th of June the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte is decorated with flowers composed to represent different images.
May	Catania	Trecastagni	Festival of St. Alfio, St. Filadelfo and St. Cirino (dal 9 al 10): Procession of people called Nuri (naked) and fair with desks of fresh garlic. The people devotion to these saints dates back to 1517, when they were given a relic.
May	Palermo	Caltavuturo	Festival of St. Calogero - Bread festival: Every family prepares breads representing the members of the family as votive offering
May	Palermo	Mezzojuso	May Festival/Festival of Christ Crucified (3rd Sunday of the month). It is divided in 3 parts: l’ Esposizione del Palio (un’ antica bandiera albanese), la Cannutta delle torce e dei regali ( una processione di donne e uomini a cavallo recanti grossi ceri, e di muli riccamente bardati ), la Celebrazione del Pontificale secondo il rito greco-bizantino. Conclude la festa una processione serale in cui una ricca Vara ( un artistico baldacchino del 1645 ) viene portata a spalla per le strade del paese.
May	Trapani	Vita	Virgin of Tagliavia Festival
May	Trapani	Calatafimi	Festival of Christ Crucified/Spring Festival: it's celebrated every 5 years, in the first three days of the month. In those days, rich compositions made of bread, symbol of the work in the country, are brought in procession. A chariot with a bizarre obelisk bread on its top, is brought around, carried by an ox-cart.
June	Catania	Palagonia	St. Febbronia Festival: a performance takes place, where the enraptured nun appears, surrounded by angels, from a tree trunk broken in two parts.
June	Trapani	San Vito Lo Capo	St. Vito Festival: St Vito's worshipping dates back to the times when - after his death in 330 a.D. - a little church was built. This place became the goal of many pilgrimages. The peak of these celebrations occur with a solemn procession by boat, commemorating St Vito's landing.
July	Catania	Caltagirone	St. Jack Festival (23-25)
July	Palermo	Palermo	St. Rosalia Festival
August	Catania	Francofonte	Festival of the Virgin of the Snow: according to the legend some hunters found a portrait of the Virgin in the forest. When they touched it, the image started bleeding. The painting is still kept.
August	Trapani	Erice	Festival of the Virgin of Custonaci: The peak of this festival occurs with the moving landing from the sea of the Virgin's sacred portrait, a XV century painting which is usually kept in the Sanctuary.
August	Trapani	Mazara del Vallo	St Vito Festival: Procession with tableaux vivants.
August	Trapani	Trapani	Festival of Our Lady of Annunciation.
September	Palermo	Baucina	Festival of St. Fortunata: (second Sunday of the month). Very popular festival, during which 12 groups of girls play episodes of the Saint's life and martyrdom.
October	Catania	Paterno'	Festival of St Barbara: it lasts 4 days during which, besides the patron saint, the feudal age of Roger II is commemorated.
December	Trapani	Custonaci	The Living Crèche: (the whole month): it is an important performance in Sicily's Christmas celebrations. It takes place inside a Grotto where, many years ago, a village was built. This village is populated by tableaux vivants of the country's arts and crafts.

Folk and Food Festivals

When	Province	Town	What
January	Palermo	Altofonte	Olive oil Festival
January	Palermo	Bisacquino	Hazelnut Festival
January	Palermo	Gratteri	La veccia e la vanniata di festi di l’annu:traditional celenration of the New Year
January	Palermo	Marineo	I Vicchiareddi: traditional celenration of the New Year
January	Palermo	Piana degli albanesi	Sfinci Festival (typical Sicilian cakes made with ricotta cheese)
February	Palermo	Chiaramonte Gulfi	Sausage Festival (during Carnival)
February	Trapani	Santangelo Muxaro	Ricotta cheese Festival (first week)
May	Catania	Caltagirone	The Flower Staircase: (21st of May/4th of June). An articulated and colourful pattern is made with flowers all along the staircase of Santa Maria del Monte, to celebrate the Virgin of Conadomini.
May	Palermo	Cinisi	Ricotta and Cheese Festival: Local shepherds prepare fresh ricotta and other kinds of Sicilian cheese and offer it to all visitors.
May	Palermo	Trabia	Medlar Festival: Trabia is a town with a lot of water sources and this has allowed the development of lemon and medlar plantations. Several Sicilian folk groups participate to this festival and hundreds of young people dressed with the local costumes walk in a parade. A nice basket full of medlars is offered to the visitors.
May	Palermo	Caltavuturo	Festival of St. Calogero - Bread festival: Every family prepares breads representing the members of the family as votive offering
July	Catania	Caltagirone	The lit staircase: The monumental staircase of Santa Maria del Monte is illuminated by 4000 lanterns made of coloured paper (23rd to 25th)
July	Palermo	Balestrate	Grapes Festival (last Sunday of the month)
August	Catania	Bronte	Pistachio Festival
August	Palermo	Gangi	Spike Festival: it's a celebration of the old times' country life connected to the Pagan mythology and the worshipping of Ceres in particular, goddess of the fields.
August	Palermo	Petralia Sottana	Ballo della Cordella: it's a dance related to the ancient pagan rituals of thanksgiving. The memory of Ceres's myth is evident in the trophy made of spikes on top of a wooden pillar, around which the dance takes place. Nowadays, it is a sort of hymn for the good harvest. While drums, guitars, whistles accordions and jew's harps play, the master of the dance invites a group of 24 dancers in a circle. They dance carrying coloured ribbons (cordelle) hanging from a pillar crowned by spikes. While dancing ribbons cross creating different patterns representing in a sequence: ploughing, sowing, sprouting and harvest. In the end, the head of the dance invites 12 couples, as many as the months of the year, to dance in the opposite direction to undo the ribbons (first Sunday).
August	Trapani	Partanna	Festival of the Belice Olive
September	Catania	Raddusa	Weat Festival: performance that celebrates the ancient tradition of the weat weighing. A parade representing the mythological gods and goddesses of abundance and harvest, coloured carts, live music, tasting of pane cunzatu (bread dressed with olive oil and salt) and cuccia (pudding made with fresh ricotta cheese).
September	Palermo	Polizzi Generosa	‘U Sfuagghio Day (first Sunday): The Sfuagghio is the typical cake of Polizzi. It's made with fresh cheese, sugar, chocolat and cinnamon. A real delight which can be found also in other towns of the Madonie Mountains.
September	Trapani	San Vito Lo Capo	Cuscus Festival - 4 days when visitors are offered in the main street this savoury dish from all the regions of the Mediterranean. There is also live music and other performances.
October	Catania	Militello	Prickly Pear and Mustard Festival: on this occasion, the town commemorates all its traditions.
October	Catania	Nicolosi	Mushroom Festival

Historic Parades

When	Province	Town	What
February	Catania	Acireale	On of the most colourful Carnivals in Italy
February	Palermo	Mezzojuso	The "Mastro di Campo" (Carnival Sunday): old popular play; a tragicomedy completely mimed by more than 90 characters dressed in XV century costumes. The plot is a contrasted love story between the Captain Bernardo Cabrera and the Queen Bianca of Navarra, widow of Martin the Young. On this Sunday, the whole town becomes a stage.
February	Palermo	Termini Imerese	The oldest carnival in Italy. Parade with allegoric carts, people in costumes and live music.
February	Palermo	Chiaramonte Gulfi	Carnival: Balls in costumes, parades of allegoric carts along the street of Chiaramonte, and Sausage Festival. Sausages are cooked in the main square and offered to the visitors with some red wine (Cerasuolo di Mortilla). Chiaramonte is well known for the ways they prepare pork meat.
August	Palermo	Caccamo	Castellana Festival (first and second Sunday): it is an historic parade with about 300 characters dressed in costumes that represent the families that along the centuries inhabited the Castle. The event ends with the election of the Lady of the Castle.
September	Catania	Raddusa	Weat Festival: performance that celebrate the ancient tradition of the weat weighing. A parade representing the mythological gods and goddesses of abundance and harvest, coloured carts, live music, tasting of pane cunzatu (bread dressed with olive oil and salt) and cuccia (pudding made with fresh ricotta cheese).
November	Palermo	Palermo	All Souls' Day Fair: according to our tradition, the souls of those we loved bring gifts and treats to children. In the night between the 1st and the 2nd this fair shows a bit of everything.
December	Trapani	Erice	The Golden Zampogna: (from the 7th to the 9th). Mediterranean festival of folk music instruments. Many folk groups from all over Europe and the Mediterranean area participate.

Cinema, Theatre, Concerts...

When	Province	Town	What
July	Trapani	Erice	The week of medieval and Renaissance music: concerts and worshops on this kind of music
July	Trapani	Segesta	Classical plays: every 2 years classical plays from all over the world are performed, from Greek tragedy to Japanese theatre.
Summer	Siracusa	Siracusa	Greek and Latin tragedies and comedies (every year) in the Greek Theatre
Summer	Catania	Taormina	The Greek Theatre season
Summer	Messina	Tyndaris	Greek and Latin tragedies and comedies in the Greek Theatre

Fairs and Meetings

When	Province	Town	What
January	Palermo	Monreale	Antique Fair: every last Saturday and Sunday
December	Catania	Caltagirone	Exhibition of the terracotta Creche (during the whole month)

Sports

When	Province	Town	What
January March	Catania	Nicolosi	"Three Days of Etna" - International ski competition
June	Palermo	Ustica	International Diving Festival.
July	Catania	Catania	Tour of Sicily by boat: a crowd of boats and rubber dinghies discovering the Sicilian coasts
September	Palermo	Palermo	Coppa degli Assi: Prestigious Riding Trophy.