Every day in Venice can be a magical exploration of all of her six districts. There are more than 400 bridges connecting 117 bodies of land and 150 canals, with hidden corners and dedicated artisans in every nook and cranny. Whether you’re interested in paintings, sculpture, the famous paper-mâché masks, hand-printed or hand-woven silk and velvet fabrics, the designs of a steel foundry, jewelry, bags, mosaics, or our world-famous Murano glass, Venice delivers. It is a city made legendary by her own maritime history and opulence, and immortalized in poems, plays, and music by the works of William Shakespeare, Thomas Mann, Ezra Pound, Igor Stravinsky and many more. This is a place of time-honored traditions that pay tribute, glory and respect to this rare and ever-evolving microcosm of life. Here are a few Venetian favorites:


March 8 to March 16
Salone Nautico Internazionale Di Venezia is the 7th Venice Int’l Boat Show devoted to people who love the sea, sport events, and much more… (www.festivaldelmare.com)

March 23 - 24
Easter Holidays

April 13
The 30th Su e Zo per I Ponti is a non-competitive track event which is basically walking from the Ponte della Paglia and winding along the city’s streets, campos, squares, an districts to finish in St. Mark’s Square.

April 25
Liberation Day and the Feast of St. Mark. A celebration in honor of the city’s patron saint, St. Mark with a procession to the Basilica. It is a Venetian tradition for men to give a red rosebud to the woman they love the most.

May 4
The Festa della Sensa celebrates the relationship between Venice and the sea. A procession of boats regally progress along the Grand Canal into the Lagoon and throw a wreath into the sea. In days gone by, it was the Doge who led the procession and a ring that was thrown to symbolize a marriage between Venice and il mare (the sea).

May 11
The Vogalonga is a huge Venetian pastime that has evolved into a rowing event for people of all ages and places. Thousands of participants row around a 30km course reclaiming the lagoon from motorized boats.

June 8
Il Palio delle Antiche Repubbliche Marinare – an ancient tradition and annual boat race between the four Italian Maritime Republics that sailed the seas in medieval times to commemorate the historical figures and memories of Venezia, Amalfi, Genova and Pisa.

June 18-21
Heineken Jammin’Festival - a three-day marathon of live music in San Giuliano Park (on the mainland in Mestre) featuring international and Italian rock stars. Former acts included Vasco Rossi, Green Day, Bon Jovi, Metallica, The Cure, etc.

June (second half)
6th Int’l Festival of Contemporary Dance entitled: Beauty. Art is beautiful! Opening up new horizons of sense and sensibility to the pure beauty of movement.

June- Sept.
The Biennale
Originally, the show was designed to display art from different countries and genres every two years, but the event has grown to become an umbrella organization covering a large range of events, including the Venice Film Festival. The main art exhibition takes place in odd-numbered years, and an architectural show occurs in even-numbered years.

July 18 – July 29
40th International Theatre Festival

July 19 and 20
Festa del Redentore is truly a local favorite. Every year, Venice gives thanks for surviving a severe outbreak of the plague in the late 16th-century. A temporary bridge of boats is built crossing the Giudecca Canal to the Church of the Redentore. Religious celebrations are held the third Sunday of July and many make a pilgrimage across this bridge to give thanks. The Saturday evening before is a “no holes barred” celebration with every size and shape of boat making its way down the Grand Canal in route to the Lagoon for an evening display of fireworks lighting up St. Mark’s Basin. Each is uniquely decorated and pulsing with music, energy and the joy of people being together. It truly is spectacular.

August-Sept. (Aug 27 – Sept. 6, 2008)
65th International Venice Film Festival …an exciting, celebrity-filled event held every year to introduce new talent, recognize the brilliance of film production, and provide a significant stage to launch leading international productions.

Sept – Nov. (Sept. 14 – Nov. 23)
11th International Architecture Exhibition: Out There. Architecture Beyond Building. The exhibition will feature site-specific installations, manifestos, landscapes and scenes of an architecture beyond building. It will also exhibit experimental architecture from around the world and highlight experimental aspects of current practice.

September 7
Regata Storica is a local boat racing event dating back to the middle ages proceeded by a procession of historic Venetian boats lavishly decorated as a representation of the city’s former maritime dominance. Traditionally, the most-awaited race is that of the gondoliers…all vying for the illustrious #1 finish.

October 4 – 13
51st International Festival of Contemporary Music

October 26
The Venice Marathon has become a sports event of international standing, attracting over 6,000 runners from all over the world every year. Covering the Olympic distance of 42,195 kilometers (26.224 miles), the course begins in Stra and runs along the Brenta River and ends after the runner crosses a floating bridge over the Grand Canal to St. Mark’s Square.

November 21
The Festa della Salute evokes strong religious feelings among the city’s inhabitants. The holiday commemorates another bout of the plague, which lasted for two years from 1630-31. The Doge at the time requested mercy from the Virgin Mary and built the Salute as a thankful gesture for her divine intervention and the city’s salvation.

December 8
Feast of Immaculate Conception