Festa di Carnevale a Costigliole d'Asti
Costigliole d'Asti's carnival afternoon for children and families, on a Sunday in February: the town band and the Alfieri flag-wavers, a magic or entertainment act, prizes for the best masks and a merenda of friciule, bugie and vin brulé.
Why it's special
It's a village carnival run by the Comune and the Pro Loco rather than a parade of floats. The Complesso Bandistico Costigliolese and Gli Alfieri, the town's flag-wavers and musicians, play; children come in costume; and the afternoon ends with the carnival sweets of the Astigiano, fried friciule and bugie.
Programme · 2026
From 15:00 in Piazza Medici, organised by the Comune with the Pro Loco di Costigliole.
- Come in costume: the most original masks win a prize.
- It starts mid-afternoon (15:00 in 2026, with a 14:30 gathering in earlier years).
- In 2026 bad weather would have moved it into the primary-school gym, entrance from Strada Gorra.
- The date is announced about a week ahead, usually through ATNews and the Pro Loco.
Carnival in Costigliole d'Asti is one Sunday afternoon in February, organised by the Comune with the Pro Loco and built for children. Families gather in the centre in costume, the Complesso Bandistico Costigliolese and Gli Alfieri, the town's flag-wavers and musicians, parade and play, and then there's an act for the children: a magician, an explorer with his parrot, or a family show at the town theatre.
The prize for the most original mask is the moment children wait for. The afternoon ends with a merenda of the Astigiano's carnival sweets, friciule (fried dough) and bugie, with vin brulé for the adults. It's short and local, an easy stop if you're in the Barbera hills on a winter weekend. Recent dates are above; the next one is usually announced about a week ahead.
Past editions
| Year | Dates | Programme |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Sunday 22 February 2026 | From 15:00 in Piazza Medici, organised by the Comune with the Pro Loco di Costigliole. 15:00 – Parade and performance by the town band and Gli Alfieri flag-wavers and musicians Afternoon – Games and magic with "L'Esploratore Wilson"; prizes for the most original masks Merenda – Friciule, bugie and vin brulé for everyone Bad weather – Moved to the primary-school gym, entrance from Strada Gorra |
| 2024 | Sunday 18 February 2024 | A masked party for children and grown-ups in the courtyard of the school complex (entrance from Via Gorra), by the Comune with the Pro Loco; in bad weather, the middle-school gym next door. 14:30 – The Complesso Bandistico Costigliolese and Gli Alfieri; face painting by the Red Cross volunteers of Asti; Nutella party 16:00 – Family theatre, "La bianca la blu la rossa", at the Teatro Comunale |
| 2023 | Sunday 26 February 2023 | Organised by the Comune with the Pro Loco. 14:30 – Masked gathering in Via Roma and Piazza Scotti 15:00 – The Complesso Bandistico Costigliolese and Gli Alfieri 15:30 – Magic show with "Mago Mimmo"; 16:00 merenda for everyone All afternoon – The showroom of "Noi di Costigliole", the Barbera producers' association, open specially |