Marche Festivals

Marche Festivals

This is a partial list of local festivals, fairs and costumed events. To verify the exact dates, please contact the local tourist board.

• Ascoli-Piceno TORNEO della QUINTANA (Joust of the Quintana)
  First Sunday in August
  
  Historical pageant with people in 15th century costumes.
  
  A costume drama on a grand scale, the Joust of the Quintana is a piece of living history with a cast of about 1,500 people all dressed in medieval costume. The ancient town of Ascoli Piceno takes on a special atmosphere for the three days of festivity that culminate in the Sunday joust of the Torneo della Quintana. The main square is specially decorated to provide the main backdrop for the historic parade, the blessing of the candles and the joust itself. The festivities of the Torneo della Quintana begin on Friday, when young men dressed in guazzaro (a traditional rural costume) pursue a fake ox, carried on the shoulders of merry-makers. The ox meets its appointment with the slaughter man at the Civic Palace. Throughout the festival of the Torneo della Quintana, a program of pageantry, music, banquets, historic re-enactments and sporting encounters keeps the medieval spirit alive in the historic streets of this beautiful walled town.
• Morro d'Alba - The Grape Festival - Middle of September
• Morro d'Alba - The Lacrima Festival - 1st Sunday of May
• Morro d'Alba - The Cantamaggio - 3rd Sunday of May, draws many singers, even foreign groups, to celebrate the springtime. On this occasion the great local wines are served.
• Poggio San Marcello -
  Sagra della salsiccia - Sausage feast - a typical popular festival on the Easter Monday. The sausage is grilled on the fire together with many pork dishes.
  Festa del Sammarcellese lontano - A festival in August honoring the emigrants.
  Festa del patrono Patron Saint Festival - San Marcello, 16 January - Religious Celebrations.
  Palio Sammarcellese - A characteristic tournament between contrade, with a donkey competition. The last Sunday of July.
• San Paolo -
  St. Joseph Festival - 19 th March
  Poetry contest dedicated to the Verdicchio - First edition July
  Gastronomic Week - Feast of the Assumption
  Popular Agricultural Festival - 1st Sunday of August
  Spinsters Festival - 7/8th December. This unique festival draws back to 1702, when according to the will drafted by Reverend Don Antonio Agabiti, every year the yields of an estate would have been given as a dowry to two young women on the 8th December. The two girls would have been drawn lots among all those women who were not married, with honest principles, of age but not older than 20. Nowadays, the dowry is still given to the drawn girls on application and respecting the terms of the will, i.e. 9 months after the marriage.
• Staffolo -
  The Verdicchio Festival - 1st Sunday of August
  Gastronomy National Prize "Golden Verdicchio" - September