Borgotaro Carnival

The Borgotaro Carnival

The Borgotaro Carnival is one of the most deeply rooted popular festivals in the Upper Val Taro, in the heart of the Apennines of the Municipality of Borgo Val di Taro, in the province of Parma (Emilia-Romagna). For an entire week, the town transforms into an open-air stage, where parades of allegorical floats, music, and masked balls involve adults and children alike, with completely free admission to all events.

The Sabione Tradition

What makes the Borgotaro carnival unique is the figure of the sabione: unlike other carnivals, here the elaborate costume doesn't matter, but rather the art of dressing up spontaneously with whatever is found at home, improvising and having fun. The 'sabioni' 'sprout like mushrooms' starting from Thursday morning and continue undeterred until the night of Shrove Tuesday, filling the streets of the historic center with popular joy and irony.

The Palasabione

The beating heart of the festival is the Palasabione, a large heated tensile structure set up every year in Piazza Castagnoli specifically for the carnival. Here, the grand masked balls take place with live music, DJ sets, shows, dancers, and an open bar until late at night. Among the most beloved events are the children's ball, the Grand School Ball, and the dancing evenings that liven up the town throughout the week.

Parades, Sabione Cup, and Bonfire

The most anticipated moment is the grand parade of allegorical floats, built with creativity by local associations, accompanied by masked groups that parade through the town's streets. There is also the fun Sabione Cup, a masked race of small push-powered vehicles along an obstacle course. The festival concludes on Shrove Tuesday with the traditional bonfire in the San Rocco district, a symbol of farewell to the carnival, followed by music at the Palasabione.

Gastronomic Traditions

The Borgotaro carnival calendar extends with the Mercoledì Sgurlotto (Sgurlotto Wednesday), a 'lean' culinary event to bid farewell to the carnival just ended. An opportunity to taste the typical dishes of the Val Taro and immerse oneself in the traditions of this corner of the Parmesan Apennines, a land also famous for the prized IGP porcini mushroom.

A Festival for the Whole Community

With its authentic and participatory atmosphere, the Borgotaro Carnival is much more than just a masked party: it is an identity event that brings together the inhabitants of the Upper Val Taro and numerous visitors every year, in a climate of revelry and tradition passed down through generations in the Municipality of Borgo Val di Taro.