Sicily dmc incentives: Almond Blossom Festival (Sagra del mandorlo in fiore) has been taking place in Agrigento for already 72 years. It’s an international folk festival aiming to spread the message of peace, integration and cooperation between people. Every year in February, Agrigento celebrates the first almond blossoms of the season in its Sagra del Mandorlo in Fiore. The highlight of the festival, which continues until the beginning of March, is on the closing Sunday. A parade, accompanied by songs and dances, winds through the streets of Agrigento, celebrating peace, joy and fraternity.

Sicily dmc incentives: The almond blossoms are celebrated as harbingers of spring; once the delicate pinkish-white blossoms appear, spring can’t be too far behind—at least in Sicily. Planting spring crops begins in earnest, and here in the south we can start to taste the promise of fava beans for the Festa di San Giuseppe (St. Joseph), Italian Father’s Day, on 19 March.

Agrigento, founded by Greek colonists in 6 B.C., is one of Italy’s most under-appreciated spots with its Valle dei Tempii, home to five ancient temples: Concordia, Juno, Jupiter, Hercules, Castor and Pollux. They are official World Heritage landmarks, glow gorgeously golden at sunset, and provide an amazing backdrop for the Almond Blossom Festival.

Agrigento, Concordia temple

Although most of the rest of Agrigento is quite modern, it still retains quite a bit of its ancient allure from the temples to its cobblestone streets that wind through the town. It is also home to some of the most impressive ruins in the Bel Paese. As for the Festa, sure to bring your walking shoes for a procession and your dancing shows for an international folk dancing fest as seen here

Agrigento blossom festival

The protagonists of the Festival are folk groups coming from all over the world: during the ten-day event, the main streets and squares of the historical centre of Agrigento are studded with folk groups challenging each other with their outstanding performances – dances, music, entertainment and colourful traditional costumes. A pleasant joyful atmosphere pervades the ancient city and its most famous landmark – the Valley of the Temples – during the whole celebration. A succession of parades, colours, beautiful costumes, live shows and exhibits that ends right where it began, with the ancient and majestic Temple of Concord as setting, when a final show is performed during the last day of the Festival and the award ceremony takes place. All around, the flowers of the almond trees create an enchanting background.

 EVENT PROGRAM

Friday 28 February
09:00 – 10:30 and 11:30 – 13:00, Shows for the school groups Auditorium Rosario Livatino at ECUA

17:00 – 18:30, Pirandello Theater presentation of the 20th International Festival “Children in the World” and following a parade in Piazza Cavour

18:30 – 19:30, Show 20th International Festival “Children in the World” in Piazza Cavour

Saturday 29 February
10:30 am -, Temenos Space, The almond tree in bloom from the dawn, images and words

10:30 am, Temple of Juno 20th International Festival “Children in the World” at the Via Sacra – Valley of the Temples – Walk of Peace and Fraternity

Sunday 1st March
9:30 am, Valley of the Temples 16th Half Marathon of COncordia

9:30 am, 20th International Festival “Children in the World” Filmed from Piazza Don Minzoni to Piazza Cavour

12:00, 20th International Festival “Children in the World” group show in Piazza Cavour

10:30 am, Regional Folklore Festival parade from Piazza Pirandello to Piazza Cavour

16: – 18:30, Tempio di Giunone show of the regional folk groups

21:00 – 23:00, Palacongressi 20th International Festival “Children in the World”

Monday 2nd March
9:30 am – 1:30 pm and 11:30 am – 1:00 pm Shows for school groups Auditorium Rosario Livatino at ECUA 20th International Festival “Children in the World”

20:30 – 22:30, P. Griffo Gala Archaeological Museum 20th International Festival “Children in the World” with show and “Claudio Criscenzo” award

21:00 – 22:30, Pirandello Favola Theater, story in multi-ethnic music

Tuesday 3 March
9:00 – 10:30 and 11:30 – 13:00, Shows for the school groups Auditorium Rosario Livatino at ECUA 20th International Festival “Children in the World” and 65th International Folklore Festival

17:00, Via Sacra – Valley of the Temples Parade and lighting of the friendship tripod in front of the Temple of Concordia

20:30, Pirandello Theater Representation of the UNESCO Intangible Heritage

20:30 – 22:00, Auditorium Livatino show 20th International Festival “Children in the World”

Wednesday 4th March
10:00 am, Higher educational institutions, Adopt a heritage

11:00 – 12:30, P. Griffo Archaeological Museum European Day of the Righteous

9:00 am – 10:30 am and 11:30 am – 1:00 pm, Shows for school groups Auditorium Rosario Livatino at ECUA 20th International Festival “Children in the World”

17:30 – 20:00, 65th International Folklore Festival Torchlight procession of Friendship (Parade with all participating groups)

23:00 – 02:00 Friendship Bar Room

Thursday 5 March
Itinerant shows of the groups participating in the 65th International Folklore Festival (in collaboration with the pro loco and territorial associations)
6.30 pm Girgenti
18:30 Fontanelle
18:30 Giardina Gallotti
18:30 Montaperto
6.30 pm Villaseta
18:30 Peruzzo Village
Monserrato 18:30
18:30 San Leone
6.30 pm Moses Village
20:30 Pirandello Theater, Unesco Intangible Heritage Gala
23:00 02:00 Bar of Friendship Room

Friday 6 March
9:30 am – 10:30 am, Prefecture of Agrigento The rpefetto and the Mayor receive territorial delegations, exchange of gifts

11:30 – 12:30, Piazza Cavour show UNESCO heritage and national traditions

11:30 am – 12:30 pm, Itinerant performances through the streets of the city

9:00 am – 10:00 am, Teatro della Posta Vecchia Teatro dell’Opera dei Pupi

20:30 – 22:30, Palacongressi Representations of international Folklore (10 Groups) and Friendship Bar Room

Saturday 7 March
10:30 am, Temple of Juno and Piazza Cavour 65th International Folklore Festival representation of UNESCO intangible heritage

16:00 – 18:00, Palacongressi 65th International Folklore Festival – 10 Groups representing UNESCO intangible heritage

19:00 – 21:00, Palacongressi 65th International Folklore Festival – 10 Groups representing UNESCO intangible heritage

Sunday 8 March
10:00 am, Girgenti 65th International Folklore Festival with Parade, Band Rally, Festival of Sicilian Carts

15:00 17:00, Valley of the Temples Representation of the 10 best groups and final award ceremony

Presenters of the 75th Almond Blossom:

Anna Falchi
Sasà Salvaggio
The Sparse Money
N.B. There is a further update press co-consistency for which some events may be updated and / or other events may be added.