Christmas in Ascoli Piceno

[Bruno]

The streets are lined with lights and the shops all have their displays going with the ice skating in Piazza Arringo and a carousel in Piazza del Popolo. This week-end will be the mercatino dell'antiquariato while next week-end there will be the mercatino di natale. There are various events in the theatre to celebrate Natale including a gospel choir and there will be a concert of Christmas songs in san Francesco.

And of course starting Christmas eve there are a multiple of presepe in various churches.

[Bruno]

This year the ice skating rink is up but the comune has decided no carousel. The 13th and 14th is the special Christmas edition of the mercatino dell'antiquariato.

[Rosebee]

Bruno, thanks for this helpful info. When would be a good time to go to the mercatino di natale? - it would be an hours drive and so I would like to get the timing right!

[Bruno]

Originally Posted by Rosebee

Bruno, thanks for this helpful info. When would be a good time to go to the mercatino di natale? - it would be an hours drive and so I would like to get the timing right!

This afternoon, after riposo, would be the best.

[Bruno]

An update: Tomorrow, 21 Dec, there is a Christmas Market in the historic center from 9 AM to 9 PM. A good portion of the centro will be closed off as they expect as amny as 300 vendors.

[Penny]

We went to the market and there was very little of it that was "Christmassy". Just the usual old tat stalls selling cheap chinese-made clothes and strange ferramenta-ish bits and bobs. There were about 3 stalls selling some Chritsmas decorations that looked like the would spontaneously combust if you even took them in the warm, never mind showed them a flame!

Christmas Market - hmmmmm. I suppose it was near Christmas and it was a market.

[Angie and Robert]

On Saturday evening we went up to our village Christmas market, the first one they have ever held, and for a village of 800 people they did very well, about 20 cantinas were opened up in the old centre, there were traditional crafts, olive oil, truffles, and the famous Montepone hats for sale. Free mulled wine and cake, and 2 pipers playing carols on hairy bagpipe things, good fun and an opportunity for us to join in with village life.If they hold it again next year, and I hope they do, will post the time and date.
A

[Bruno]

We were surprised how crowded the market was yesterday and the papers this morning said there were 10,000 people in town to shop, good for the vendors but I agree the vast majority was cheap stuff. We did enjoy watching the vendors who did the cooking demonstrations, they drew crowds and amazing to watch people line up to buy that stuff. In all they claimed there were 280 vendors.

Sat night we went to the festa, they actually billed it as a sagra, in Monsampolo del Tronto. They had free local treats, the area is famous for fig treats, vino and vino cotto. Babba Natale arrived in a sleigh that looked like there was a 500 underneath, the kids loved it.