Join
the fun as the traditional Carnivale in Venice kicks
off in St. Mark's Square with a whirlwind of musicians,
dancers, street performers, and acrobats performing
in (what else?) a festive Italian carnival atmosphere!
Perhaps
the most wacky and colorful part of the occasion are
the thousands of visitors from the U.S., U.K. and Japan
who come to Venice to participate in a centuries-old
tradition of street theater, wearing exotic masks and
mysterious costumes for the occasion.
With
Carnival
history steeped in the Middle Ages (and at its height
during the 17th & 18th centuries), the festival
has certainly had its ups and downs over the years due
mainly to the raucous and sometimes lawless behavior
that accompanied it.
Only
in the 1980's did Carnival truly come back as a time-honored
street party with good-natured control over the chaos.
Today,
tourists can safetly participate in the frivolity -
or be amused from the sidelines - and at night also
watch Venice sparkle under the magic of spectacular
fireworks displays.
Where:
St. Mark's Square, city streets, public squares,
theatres.
When:
Typically, Carnival begins two weeks before Ash Wednesday
and ends on Shrove Tuesday. In 2010, the festivities
are scheduled from Saturday, February 6 to Tuesday,
February 16, 2010.