Events in Penne, 2011
Exact dates for some of the events in 2011 are not available yet, but based on previous years these are likely to be good guesses - if you are planning to book a stay with us for one of the events
best confirm the date first!
- January 1st, 16.30pm: Snacks, drinks, and fireworks for the New Year in Piazza Luca da Penne.
- 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 -24: Penne Carnival (think Venice or Rio on a slightly smaller scale ;-)
- April 22nd Good Friday processions (includes video)
- May 3rd - 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 7 - 8 Festival of San Massimo, patron saint of Penne
- June 12 - 13 Festival of Saint Anthony
- June 24 - 26 Summer solstice. The feast of San Giovanni, traditional time to renew friendships, symbolised by giving wild flowers. Recently revived in Penne as the festival of ‘Cummara a ffiure’
- 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. The detailed timetable is usually announced by the town council in July
- Pescara Jazz, July 15 - 18: not in Penne, but just down the road in Pescara, and one of the biggest European jazz events. Last year included Simply Red, Chick Corea, George Benson, Ahmad Jamal
- Penne night races: 9km circuit around the town that attracts runners from as far as Morocco and Kenya to race under the stars. Around 1000 amateur runners also run during the day.
- August: Pecora Nait. Celebration of everything related to sheep and lamb. Losts of arrosticini to eat! Date not yet announced
- 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. Penne's biggest event of the year. 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. Book our house for Christmas - people always have a memorable time!
