Events in Penne, 2009
Exact dates for events in 2009 are mostly not available yet, but you can get a good idea of what is likely to be happening by looking at the events list for 2008 or 2007.
- January 1st, 16.30pm: Snacks, drinks, and fireworks for the New Year in Piazza Luca da Penne.
- January 3rd, 21.00pm: Concert by the East European Philharmonic Orchestra (Bucharest) in the church of S. Maria in Colleromano (10 minutes walk, outside the walls)
- January 5th, 17.00pm: La Befana arrives in Piazza di Luca. In Italian tradition presents are given not by Santa at Christmas but by La Befana (the witch) on January 5th. Leave your stockings out for her...
- February 22-24th: Penne Carnival (think Venice Rio on a slightly smaller scale ;-)
- May 7th - not actually in Penne, but Coccullo (about an hour's drive), listed here as it is the most dramatic of all the traditional festivals in Abruzzo: the Festival of San Domenico, with the procession of the snake handlers. Get to handle live snakes ... The festival is always on the first Thursday in May.
- May 7th Feast of San Massimo, patron saint of Penne, with procession carrying the saint's effigy through the streets
- June: Friendship nights. The feast of San Giovanni, traditional time to renew friendships, symbolised by giving wild flowers.
- July and August open air performances: almost every evening through July and August there is an open air concert or performance of some kind in the Belvedere (enter from the Piazza dei Martiri di Penne, the smaller square next to Penne main square, Piazza Luca da Penne) or in the clositers of San Domenico (also just off Piazza Luca da Penne). Performances start at 9 in the evening unless otherwise stated and are free
- Pescara Jazz, July 13 and 17-19: not in Penne, but just down the road in Pescara, and one of the biggest European jazz events. This year includes Simply Red, Chick Corea, George Benson, Ahmad Jamal
- August: Pecora Nait. Celebration of everything related to sheep and lamb. Losts of arrosticini to eat!
- August: 'White Night': festivities last all night, with shops and services running 24 hours. Just because. Date not yet announced.
- August: The Palio of the 6 Parishes. Each evening involves historical re-enactments, competition between the 6 historical neighbourhoods, and food, open-air concerts, etc. Dates for this year have not yet been announced
- Late November: Finals of the Penne-Moscow international literary prize, with results from the juries of local citizens and students. Open to the public, in Italian.
- December 24th: Father Christmas arrives in the Piazza di Luca
