Lake Como’s event calendar follows the seasons, from Carnevale parades in winter to classical music in villa gardens during summer and boat races in early autumn. Most events are concentrated from June through September, though Como city itself stays active year-round with Christmas markets and New Year celebrations. This guide lists the major annual events with approximate dates, locations, and what to expect. Verify exact dates on the official Lake Como tourism site (lakecomo.it) as some shift annually with Easter. Explore our complete Lake Como guide for everything you need to plan your trip.
Como Winter Events (December to February)
Como Christmas Markets (Citta dei Balocchi)
The Citta dei Balocchi (City of Toys) festival transforms Como’s historic centre from late November through the first Sunday after Epiphany (roughly November 25 to January 7). Piazza Cavour hosts the main Christmas market with roughly 30 wooden stalls selling local crafts, mulled wine (vin brule, €4), and Lombard food specialities. An ice skating rink (€8 including skate rental) operates in Piazza Volta. The highlight is the light projection show mapped onto the facade of Como Cathedral (Duomo) each evening from 5:30 PM, running every 30 minutes. Entry to the market area is free. The market operates daily from 10 AM to 8 PM, extended to 10 PM on Fridays and Saturdays. For more detail, see our Como weather by month.
Carnevale di Como
Como’s Carnevale fills the walled city centre with a costumed parade, typically on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday (February or early March depending on Easter). The parade runs along Via Vittorio Emanuele II from Porta Torre to Piazza Duomo, featuring floats from local schools and community groups. It is a family-oriented event with children in costume throwing confetti (coriandoli), not the Venice-style masquerade. A smaller children’s parade runs the preceding Saturday. Both are free to watch. Street food stalls set up in Piazza Cavour for the weekend, selling chiacchiere (fried carnival pastries dusted with powdered sugar) and frittelle (doughnuts) from €3. For more detail, see our best time to visit Como.
Como Spring Events (March to May)
Settimana Santa (Holy Week) in Como
Easter week on Lake Como is marked by religious processions rather than large public festivals. The Good Friday procession in Como starts at the Duomo at 9 PM and winds through the candlelit streets of the historic centre with a wooden Christ figure carried by local parishioners. In Bellagio, the Easter Monday (Pasquetta) tradition involves families picnicking in the gardens of Villa Melzi (regular €8 entry applies). Hotel rates spike for the Easter weekend; book 6 to 8 weeks ahead if travelling during this period. The lake ferry schedule runs a Sunday/holiday timetable on Easter Sunday and Monday with reduced frequency. For more detail, see our things to do in Como.
Rhododendron Bloom at Villa Carlotta
While not a ticketed event, the rhododendron and azalea bloom at Villa Carlotta in Tremezzo (mid-April to mid-May) draws garden enthusiasts from across Europe and effectively kicks off Lake Como’s tourist season. The 8-hectare garden contains over 150 varieties of rhododendron and azalea, with peak colour typically in the last week of April and first week of May. Villa Carlotta occasionally runs special guided garden tours during the bloom (check their website for dates). Regular entry is €15 and the garden opens daily from 10 AM. Go on a weekday morning for the least crowded experience. For more detail, see our best neighborhoods in Como.
Como Summer Events (June to August)
Lake Como Festival
The Lake Como Festival runs from late June through early September, programming classical and chamber music concerts in historic villas, churches, and gardens around the lake. Venues include Villa Carlotta (Tremezzo), Villa del Balbianello (Lenno), and the Teatro Sociale in Como. Tickets range from €15 to €40 depending on the venue and programme, available through the festival website (lakecomofestival.com). Most concerts start at 8:30 PM or 9 PM to take advantage of the evening light. The programme typically includes 12 to 15 concerts over the summer, roughly two per week. Book 2 to 3 weeks ahead for the most popular venues; the Villa del Balbianello terrace concerts sell out within days of announcement. For more detail, see our where to stay in Como.
Sagra di San Giovanni (Como)
The Feast of St. John, Como’s patron saint, takes place on June 23 and 24. The main event is a large fireworks display (spettacolo pirotecnico) over the lake on the evening of June 23, launched from a barge anchored off the Como waterfront. The best viewing spots are along the lungolago (lakefront promenade) from Villa Olmo to the funicular station; arrive by 9 PM to claim a spot as the fireworks start around 10:30 PM. Street food stalls and a small funfair set up in the public gardens near the Tempio Voltiano for the two days. The event is free. The evening ferry from Como to Bellagio runs an extended schedule to accommodate the crowds returning after midnight. For more detail, see our Como travel tips.
Ferragosto (August 15)
Ferragosto is Italy’s national summer holiday, and Lake Como’s towns fill with Italian families on vacation. Most towns hold some form of celebration: Bellagio stages a firework display off the Punta Spartivento, Menaggio runs a street party with live music along the lakefront promenade, and Como hosts an open-air dance at Villa Olmo. Restaurants are extremely busy for lunch (il pranzo di Ferragosto is a serious institution); book at least a week ahead for any lakeside table. Ferry services run a Sunday/holiday timetable which means roughly 70% of the normal weekday frequency. The week around Ferragosto (roughly August 10 to 17) is the busiest and most expensive period of the entire year on Lake Como.
Como Autumn Events (September to November)
Palio del Baradello
The Palio del Baradello, held on the first Sunday of September, is Como’s main historical festival. It features a medieval boat race between the city’s historic districts (borghi) on the lake off the Como waterfront, plus a costumed parade through the city centre with roughly 500 participants in 13th-century dress. The parade starts at Porta Torre at 3 PM and proceeds to Piazza Duomo. The boat race begins at 5 PM and uses traditional lucie, the wooden fishing boats native to Lake Como. Watching is free from the lakefront. Food stalls representing each borgo serve local dishes in the streets around Piazza San Fedele from midday. The event commemorates Frederick Barbarossa’s 1159 siege of Como.
Orticolario (Cernobbio)
Orticolario is an international garden and plant fair held at Villa Erba in Cernobbio over the first weekend of October (Friday to Sunday). It draws roughly 30,000 visitors and features over 250 exhibitors of rare plants, garden design, and outdoor furnishings across the villa’s lakefront park. Tickets cost €18 online or €22 at the gate. The event is a fundraiser for local social causes; the Como branch of the Italian Red Cross has been a past beneficiary. Villa Erba is a 5-minute walk from the Cernobbio ferry dock or a 45-minute flat walk from Como along the western lakefront path. Parking near Cernobbio is essentially nonexistent during the event; use the ferry or walk from Como.
Festa del Torchio (Gravedona)
The Festa del Torchio (Festival of the Press) takes place in Gravedona on the upper lake during the first weekend of October. It celebrates the traditional apple pressing with working demonstrations of antique wooden presses, apple-based food stalls, and folk music. The festival is small scale and primarily local, but it is one of the few events on the upper lake and offers a genuine harvest-season experience. Gravedona is reachable by bus C10 from Como (roughly 1 hour 15 minutes, €4) or by ferry from Bellagio (35 minutes, €4.60). The event is free to attend.
