Some of the more major festivals and pageants are listed below.

 January - New Year’s Day is celebrated Jan. 1st, and Epiphany is celebrated Jan. 6th.
 February - Mardi Gras is celebrated in Italy from Feb. 9th through 20th. Also in February is the Carnevale, a parade, celebrated the 4th, 11th, 18th, 20th, and the 25th in Viareggio. In Agrigento in February is the Almond-Blossom Feast. 
 March - From March 29th until April 2nd in Verona is the wine festival called Vinitaly.
 April -  In Florence on April 8th is the Explosion of the Cart with fireworks, and Holy Week is celebrated from April 8th through the 14th. Easter is also celebrated in Italy in April. In Rome, on April 21st is the City Birthday Celebration. And all of Italy celebrates Liberation Day on April 25th, also on the 25th, St. Mark’s Day is celebrated in Venice, when men present roses to their loves. 
 May -  On May 1st, Italy celebrates Labor Day. On the 17th of May is Ascension Day, which is a religious festival. Also on the 17th in Florence is the Annual Cricket Festival. 
 June - All through June the Annual Flower Display, and the Florence Music Festival are celebrated in Florence. June is actually a busy month for festivals, as regions and cities all over Italy celebrate. On June 2nd, all of Italy celebrates the Anniversary of the Republic. 
 Other June festivals include the Corpus Domini on the 7th, Pisa’s Festival of St. Ranieri on the 17th, Verona’s Outdoor Opera in the Roman Arena from the 22nd through September 1st, and St. John the Baptist Day in Rome, Florence, Monterosso, and Riomaggiore on the 24th. 
 From late June until early September in Florence is the Outdoor Cinema Season for contemporary films. 
 July - From July through August in Verona is the Opera Season. On July 2nd in Siena is the Palio with horse races and medieval parades. On the 15th, the Festival of Madonna del Carmine is held in Naples. 
 August - On August 15th, the Feast of the Assumption is held throughout Italy, and on the 29th through September 8th is the International Film Festival in Venice. 
 September - On September 1st and 2nd in Florence, is the Historical Regatta with old time boats and pageantry. There is also the Festival of San Genarro in Naples on the 19th.
 October - In Florence, all through October is the Musica dei Popoli Festival, where you can witness ethic and folk music and dance.
 November - November is the month for the All Saints’ Day celebrations, and on the 21st in Venice, is the Feast of Our Lady of Good Health, sort of like a Venetian Thanksgiving.
 December - Of course, Christmas is celebrated in Italy on December 25th, but all through December in Rome is the Christmas Market on Piazza Navona. Also on December 8th is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, and on the 26th is the St. Stephen’s Day festival. 

 These are only a few of the many celebrations and festivals that Italy has to offer. Be sure to check for specific dates to see what festivals you might be able to join in.