Venetian Festival is the name of a festival held in cities in Europe and North America. They are based on carnival, or
carnevale, the period just before Lent, as celebrated in the 17th century in
Venice
Venice ( ; it, Venezia ; vec, Venesia or ) is a city in northeastern Italy and the capital of the Veneto Regions of Italy, region. It is built on a group of 118 small islands that are separated by canals and linked by over 400 ...
,
Italy
Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...
. Venetian festivals re-create the fantasy of the earlier events with food, costumes, masks, music, theater, juggling and other spectacles. The masks and costumes are worn by people who often travel from other countries to attend and perform (or parade) in these festivals. The elaborate costumes and masks are handmade by artisans from various countries. Many involve male and female or group versions and are based on old Venetian characters and costumes.
In the U.S., A Venetian Festival is held in
Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County. The population was 2,348 at the 2020 census. Charlevoix is mostly surrounded by Charlevoix Township, but the two are administered autonomously ...
which started in 1930. There is also a Venetian Festival held in
Saugatuck, Michigan
Saugatuck is a city in Allegan County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 865 at the 2020 census. The city is within Saugatuck Township, but is administratively autonomous.
Originally a lumber town and port, Saugatuck, along w ...
.
Another Venetian Festival, in
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. Located in Walworth County and situated on Geneva Lake, it is home to an estimated 8,105 people as of 2019, up from 7,651 at the 2010 census. It is located about 40 miles southwest of Milwa ...
, has been run by the Lake Geneva Jaycees since 1962.
A Venetian Festival was formerly held annually on the third weekend of July at
Silver Beach County Park in
St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph, colloquially known as St. Joe, is a city and the county seat of Berrien County, Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 8,365. It lies on the shore o ...
, a small town on the coast of
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America. It is the second-largest of the Great Lakes by volume () and the third-largest by surface area (), after Lake Superior and Lake Huron. To the east, its basin is conjoined with that o ...
in the southwest part of the state. It started in 1979, and grew from a handful of people to nearly 200,000 visitors at the end. Once a two-day event on Friday and Saturday, this festival eventually ran from Thursday through Sunday and featured a variety of amusements. It was discontinued after the 2011 festival.
St. Joseph Venetian Festival website: Venetian Festival Comes to an End
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References
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Festivals in Italy
Festivals in Michigan