Over Culture · Cefalù
Events in the Madonie
Folklore, carnivals and shows in the Madonie
Cultural events in the Madonie run from Carnival to Christmas, but most of them come in summer: in July the children's theatre of Castelbuono è una Favola and the Politium Circus in Polizzi Generosa, in August the Giostra dei Ventimiglia in Geraci Siculo, the folk festivals of Caltavuturo and Cefalù and the Ballo della Cordella in Petralia Sottana. Here you find each event with the dates of the current edition and the source.
Folklore, carnivals and shows in the Madonie
Over 
Over Culture · Petralia Sottana
Ballo della Cordella in Petralia Sottana
Over Culture · Caltavuturo
Festival Internazionale del Folklore di Caltavuturo
Over Culture · Castellana Sicula
Da Coffa a Visazza, folk in Castellana Sicula
Over Culture · Cefalù
Cefalù Art Expo at the Ottagono di Santa Caterina
Over Culture · Geraci Siculo
Giostra dei Ventimiglia in Geraci Siculo
Over Culture · Pollina
Valdemone Festival in Pollina
Over Culture · Polizzi Generosa
Politium Circus in Polizzi Generosa
Over Culture · Castelbuono
Castelbuono è una Favola, children's theatre
Over Culture · Castelbuono
Infiorata di Castelbuono flower festival
Over Culture · Geraci Siculo
Festa della Transumanza in Geraci Siculo
Over Culture · Castellana Sicula
Carnevale delle Madonie in Castellana Sicula
Over Culture · Collesano
Carnevale di Collesano and the Peppe 'Nnappa contest
Over Culture · Cefalù
Magico Natale a Cefalù
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What is on, season by season?
- Carnival: the Collesano Carnival, from Fat Thursday to Shrove Tuesday, and the Carnevale delle Madonie in Castellana Sicula, a Sunday of parade floats.
- Late May and June: the Festa della Transumanza in Geraci Siculo, when the herds cross the village, and the Infiorata di Castelbuono, with carpets of flowers along via Sant’Anna.
- July: Castelbuono è una Favola, theatre for children aged 4 and up, the Politium Circus in Polizzi Generosa and, between late July and early August, the Valdemone Festival in Pollina.
- August: the Giostra dei Ventimiglia in Geraci Siculo on the first weekend, the Cefalù Art Expo in piazza Duomo, Da Coffa a Visazza in Castellana Sicula, the International Folklore Festival in Caltavuturo around Ferragosto, the Ballo della Cordella on the Sunday after Ferragosto and the Rassegna Internazionale del Folklore in Cefalù.
- December: Magico Natale a Cefalù, from early December to 6 January.
Where is everything else?
Processions and Holy Week are in religious festivals, concerts and festivals on the music page, nativity scenes in Christmas in the Madonie. The guide to festivals and traditions of the Madonie explains what the rituals mean.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the Ballo della Cordella in Petralia Sottana?
- The Ballo della Cordella takes place on the first Sunday after Ferragosto (15 August), after a few evenings of festivities. Twelve couples weave 24 coloured ribbons around a pole, after a wedding procession on horseback. The date of the current edition and the source are on the event page.
- Which cultural events in the Madonie are free?
- Entry is free to the Infiorata di Castelbuono, the children's theatre festival Castelbuono è una Favola, the Valdemone Festival in Pollina, the Rassegna Internazionale del Folklore and Magico Natale in Cefalù, and also to the Cefalù Art Expo exhibition in the Ottagono di Santa Caterina. For the other events check the event page and the official source.
- When are the carnivals in the Madonie?
- There are two at Carnival time. In Collesano the festivities last six days, from Fat Thursday to Shrove Tuesday, with the Peppe 'Nnappa contest for masks and dance halls. In Castellana Sicula there is the Carnevale delle Madonie, a Sunday afternoon parade of floats held since 1962.
Sources
Page updated on 20 October 2026