Christmas markets in Monferrato 2026, weekend by weekend

Christmas in Monferrato is mostly small. Apart from the big market in Asti, it's one-day village markets, nativity scenes set up in cellars, courtyards and shop windows, concerts in parish churches, and a Pro Loco handing out hot chocolate. Several village programmes are only published in late November, so where a 2026 date isn't confirmed yet we say so and give last year's.

Two December fairs fall in the same weeks and are worth knowing about: the old fat-ox fairs of Moncalvo and Nizza, when Moncalvo's restaurants put bollito, Piedmont's mixed boiled meats, on their menus and Nizza has served a Gran Bollito at the Foro Boario.

From mid-November: Asti

• 14 November to 20 December, Asti. Il Magico Paese di Natale is the region's big Christmas market, in its 20th edition: more than 130 wooden chalets in the centre of Asti, with a big wheel, an ice rink and shows for children. It isn't open every day. In 2026 the dates are 14–15, 21–22 and 28–29 November, then 3–8, 10–13 and 17–20 December, 10:00 to 20:00, with a preview on Friday 13 November from 15:00. Entry is free. There's a free car park in Piazza Cosma Manera, with a free shuttle to Piazza Alfieri on Saturdays and Sundays. Weekday afternoons are calmer with children.

Weekend of 21–22 November

• Saturday 21 November, Acqui Terme. At 18:00 the Christmas tree and street lights go on in Piazza Italia, on the first evening of the town's truffle weekend, and Il Natale passa da Acqui begins. The rest of the 2026 programme isn't out yet. Last year it ran into January, with an ice rink in Piazza Italia, Father Christmas's house in Piazza Bollente, a Sunday Christmas market under the arcades of Corso Bagni, and the Pro Loco's international nativity exhibition at the Movicentro from 6 December to Epiphany.

Weekend of 28–29 November

• Sunday 29 November, Cocconato. The Mercatino di Natale fills the old centre for the day, with crafts, gifts and local produce, and polenta and mulled wine from the Pro Loco.
• 29 November to 6 December, Moncalvo. A week of side events and restaurant menus around the Fiera del Bue Grasso, whose fair day is Wednesday 2 December: the 388th edition of a fair documented since 1638.

The long weekend of 5–8 December

In 2026 the 8 December holiday, the Immacolata, falls on a Tuesday, and it's the day most of the nativity trails open.

• Sunday 6 December, Nizza Monferrato. The Fiera del Bue Grasso e del Manzo: the white Piedmontese cattle are shown and judged in Piazza Garibaldi, and in past years the Foro Boario served a Gran Bollito.
• Sunday 6 and Tuesday 8 December, San Damiano d'Asti. The Presepe Vivente, a living nativity through the old centre and its cellars, about thirty scenes with carpenters, smiths and washerwomen at work, 14:00 to 19:00. It's part of Asti's Magico Paese di Natale, and free.
• Tuesday 8 December, Agliano Terme. Christmas in Via Principe, a food and gift market along the main streets from 10:00 to 17:00, with street food from Agliano's own bars and shops.
• From Tuesday 8 December, Cocconato. Il Borgo e i suoi Presepi opens and stays until 6 January: nativity scenes in the shop windows and corners of the old centre, an exhibition of artists' presepi, and a life-size presepe on the steps of the parish church, lit at night. The same day there's a gospel concert in the parish church of Santa Maria della Consolazione.
• From Tuesday 8 December, Castagnole Monferrato. Oro Incenso Mirra, the nativity exhibition at Tenuta La Mercantile, opens for its 11th edition and runs to 6 January, on weekends and holidays.
• To be confirmed: Natale a Vignale, the Christmas market in Piazza del Popolo, was on Sunday 7 December in 2025. Camminando nel Presepe, Rosignano's trail of more than eighty painted nativity panels through the hamlets of Colma and Garriano, usually opens on 8 December and is best seen lit up after dark.

Weekend of 12–13 December

• Sunday 13 December, Calliano Monferrato. The Villaggio di Natale, a one-day Christmas market in Piazza Marconi from 9:30, with music and things for children to do.
• Sunday 13 December, San Damiano d'Asti. The last day of the Presepe Vivente, 14:00 to 19:00. The same weekend the town holds its Fiera storica del Cappone, with about a thousand capons from more than thirty breeders on show and for sale, and a food festival around them.
• To be confirmed: the Mercatino di Natale di Calamandrana in Piazza Dante was on 13–14 December in 2025, with a carriage ride with Father Christmas and farinata all day. Un Albero per Molare, when the schoolchildren's decorated trees go up on the church steps, was on Saturday 13 December in 2025.

Weekend of 19–20 December

• Sunday 20 December, Grana Monferrato. The Concerto di Natale in the parish church at 16:30.
• Sunday 20 December, Asti. The last day of the Magico Paese di Natale market.
• To be confirmed: Aspettando il Natale in Calosso, when the crotin under the village open with a nativity in each, was on 20–21 December in 2025.

Christmas to Epiphany

• Saturday 26 December, Nizza Monferrato. L'Aperitivo del Lardo: at 12:30 on Santo Stefano the Pro Loco offers the town an aperitivo under the Campanon, the town-hall bell tower, in memory of 26 December 1798.
• Until 6 January, the nativity trails stay open: Cocconato, Castagnole and Rosignano above, and La Via del Presepe in Mombaruzzo's old workers' society theatre, open on weekend afternoons in past years.
• 1 January, Casale Monferrato. The New Year's Day concert in the cathedral of Sant'Evasio, free, in the afternoon. The 2027 programme hasn't been announced.

Town programmes still to be announced

These towns have run a December programme in recent years, but hadn't published 2026 dates when we checked. The latest edition we could confirm gives you an idea of the shape:

• Nizza è Natale, Nizza Monferrato: lights, chalets, concerts and children's afternoons, 9 December 2025 to 6 January 2026.
• Natale a Moncalvo: Father Christmas for children, choir and band concerts, and a living nativity on Christmas Eve, 13 to 28 December 2025.
• Natale a Canelli: a craft Christmas market in the Salone Riccadonna over two weekends, concerts and Father Christmas in Piazza Cavour, in 2024.
• Natale a San Marzano Oliveto: tombole, a polenta lunch and an Epiphany concert, 8 December 2025 to 5 January 2026. We found no edition of the village's own Christmas market after 2023.

If you're coming for the truffle fairs, the last ones overlap with the first markets: see Truffle fairs in Monferrato 2026.