# Carnevale delle Madonie in Castellana Sicula > The Carnevale delle Madonie has been held in Castellana Sicula since 1962: a Sunday parade of floats from Calcarelli to Piazza San Francesco di Paola. - Page: https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/carnevale-delle-madonie-castellana-sicula/ - Updated: 2026-10-19 - Other languages: [Italiano](https://www.lemadonie.it/eventi/carnevale-delle-madonie-castellana-sicula.md) · [Español](https://www.lemadonie.it/es/eventos/carnaval-de-las-madonie-castellana-sicula.md) · [Français](https://www.lemadonie.it/fr/evenements/carnaval-des-madonie-castellana-sicula.md) · [Deutsch](https://www.lemadonie.it/de/veranstaltungen/carnevale-delle-madonie-castellana-sicula.md) ## At a glance | | | |---|---| | 2026 edition | 22 February 2026 | | Where | From Calcarelli to Piazza San Francesco di Paola, along Viale Risorgimento and Corso Mazzini, [Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/) | | Category | Culture | | Recurrence | Every year, one Sunday of Carnival, usually in the afternoon | | Organiser | Pro Loco e Consulta Giovanile di Castellana Sicula, con il Comune | | Source | https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/02/18/tutto-pronto-per-il-carnevale-sulle-alte-madoniedomenica-tutti-a-castellana-sicula/ (checked on 2026-10-19) | ## Programme 51st edition (the carnival has been held since 1962). The Carnevale delle Madonie is the allegorical float parade of [Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/), held since 1962. It takes up one Sunday afternoon: the floats leave from the hamlet of Calcarelli and arrive in Piazza San Francesco di Paola, where people dance until evening. In 2026 the 51st edition, postponed by a week because of rain, took place on Sunday 22 February with thirteen floats. It is organised by the Pro Loco and the youth council, with the support of the town council. Madoniedintorni calls it the carnival of the Madonie “par excellence”: the village's floats are joined by those of neighbouring towns. ## A parade that brings the villages together The floats are not only from Castellana. In 2026 floats and masked groups came from Petralia Sottana, Petralia Soprana (with the hamlet of Pianello), Bompietro, Blufi, Alimena, Geraci Siculo and Caltavuturo, plus the groups that organise themselves every year. The closest link is with Petralia Soprana: already in 2016 its floats paraded in Castellana on Sunday and the people of Castellana returned the visit in Petralia Soprana on Shrove Tuesday. The floats are built by the village's young people in the weeks before. In 2016 BlogSicilia described the young people who had become “expert builders of allegorical floats”, the school with over 120 children, parents and teachers in costume, the “Liborio Asciutto” band with its own masked group and the Associazione Ballo della Cordella. ## How the Sunday unfolds The day has followed the same pattern for years: - **in the early afternoon** the floats gather in Calcarelli (in 2016 they left at 16:00, in 2020 at 15:30); - **the parade** crosses the village along Viale Risorgimento and Corso Mazzini; - **in Piazza San Francesco di Paola** floats and groups arrive, prizes are awarded and the music starts; - **in the evening** there is dancing in the square: in 2026 there was an “After Parade Show” with two DJs. There is usually a mask contest. In 2026 the Premio Re Carnevale returned; in 2020 prizes went to the most beautiful mask, the best groups and the best photo of the edition. In the weeks before, the programme may also include dance evenings and a grandparents' carnival, as in 2016. ## Dates of recent years The parade usually falls on Carnival Sunday, which depends on Easter, but the Pro Loco sometimes picks another Sunday of the period or postpones because of bad weather. This table gathers the documented editions: | Year | Edition | Parade Sunday | |---|---|---| | 2026 | 51st | 22 February (postponed from the 15th because of rain) | | 2020 | 47th | 23 February | | 2016 | 43rd | 7 February | The 2027 date has not been announced yet: the news usually appears on Madoniedintorni and the Pro Loco's channels one or two weeks before. ## Getting there, where to stay and weather Castellana Sicula is about 96 km from Palermo (1 hour 20, via the A19) and about 68 km from Cefalù (one hour), according to our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention parking: on parade day the route between Calcarelli and the square is taken up by the floats, so arrive early. For mountain roads in winter, see the [guide to driving in the Madonie](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/roads/). In February it can rain, as in 2026: check the [Castellana Sicula weather](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/weather/castellana-sicula/). For the night there is the list of [where to stay in Castellana Sicula](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/where-to-stay/). The other historic carnival of the Madonie is in Collesano, with the Peppe 'Nnappa contest: see the [Carnevale di Collesano](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/collesano-carnival-and-peppe-nnappa-contest/) page. The village's other events are on the [Castellana Sicula events](https://www.lemadonie.it/en/villages/castellana-sicula/events/) page. ## Past editions - 2020: 23 February 2020. [Source](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/la-sfilata-dei-carri-e-musica-fino-a-tarda-notte-il-carnevale-delle-madonie-a-castellana-sicula-113362) - 2016: 7 February 2016. [Source](https://www.blogsicilia.it/palermo/carnevale-sulle-madonie-la-festa-di-castellana-sicula/324139/) ## Frequently asked questions ### When is the Carnevale delle Madonie in Castellana Sicula? The parade takes place on a Sunday during Carnival, in the afternoon. In 2026 it was planned for 15 February but was postponed by a week because of rain and took place on Sunday 22 February. In 2020 it was on 23 February, in 2016 on 7 February. The 2027 date has not been announced yet. ### How long has the Castellana Sicula carnival been running? The Carnevale delle Madonie has been held in Castellana Sicula since 1962. In 2026 it reached its 51st edition: the number is lower than the years elapsed because it has not been held every year. It is organised by the Pro Loco and the youth council with the support of the town council. ### Where does the float parade start? The floats leave from the hamlet of Calcarelli and arrive in Piazza San Francesco di Paola, the main square. In 2016 the route ran along Viale Risorgimento and Corso Mazzini. After the parade there is music and dancing in the square until late evening. ### How many floats take part? In 2026 there were thirteen floats, because floats and masked groups from other towns also join the parade: Petralia Sottana, Petralia Soprana (with the hamlet of Pianello), Bompietro, Blufi, Alimena, Geraci Siculo and Caltavuturo, plus the groups that form spontaneously every year. ### Are there prizes for costumes? There is usually a contest. In 2026 the Premio Re Carnevale for costumes returned; in 2020 the contest rewarded the most beautiful mask, the best groups and the best photo of the edition. ### How do you get to Castellana Sicula? From Palermo it is about 96 km (1 hour 20) via the A19, from Cefalù about 68 km (one hour). These are estimates from our calculation on OpenStreetMap without traffic. The sources do not mention dedicated parking; on parade day the route between Calcarelli and the square is taken up by the floats. ## Sources - [Madoniedintorni, 51° Carnevale delle Madonie (18 febbraio 2026)](https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/02/18/tutto-pronto-per-il-carnevale-sulle-alte-madoniedomenica-tutti-a-castellana-sicula/) - [Madoniedintorni, in tanti al Carnevale delle Madonie (23 febbraio 2026)](https://madoniedintorni.com/2026/02/23/e-qui-la-festain-tanti-al-carnevale-delle-madonie-a-castellana-sicula/) - [Balarm, 47° Carnevale delle Madonie (2020)](https://www.balarm.it/eventi/la-sfilata-dei-carri-e-musica-fino-a-tarda-notte-il-carnevale-delle-madonie-a-castellana-sicula-113362) - [BlogSicilia, Carnevale sulle Madonie, la festa di Castellana Sicula (2016)](https://www.blogsicilia.it/palermo/carnevale-sulle-madonie-la-festa-di-castellana-sicula/324139/) --- Markdown version of the page https://www.lemadonie.it/en/events/carnevale-delle-madonie-castellana-sicula/, from Le Madonie (lemadonie.it), an independent guide to the Madonie. Facts with source and date of check.