Christmas Time Ascea - Ascea Winterland
A month of Christmas in the Cilento region, featuring a Ferris wheel, an ice rink, and thirty scattered events.
About Christmas Time Ascea
A month of Christmas in the heart of Cilento
Christmas Time Ascea is the holiday program organized by the Municipality of Ascea, in the province of Salerno, in the heart of the Cilento region and just a stone's throw from the Velia archaeological park. From December 6th to January 6th, over thirty events bring the main town, the marina, and the surrounding hamlets to life: Ascea Paese, Ascea Marina, Mandia, Terradura, Catona, and Baronia. The project was launched with a clear goal by the municipal administration: to extend the tourist season beyond the summer beach months and showcase the winter face of this stretch of the Campania coast.
Ascea Winterland, the village in Piazza Europa
The scenic heart of the event is Ascea Winterland, the Christmas village set up in Piazza Europa, in Ascea Marina. At the center of the square stands a Ferris wheel from which the view stretches from the hills to the coast and the Gulf of Velia: a unique perspective on a coastline that is among the most popular in Cilento during the summer. Next to it, visitors can skate on the ice rink, brought back after the previous year's success, with skates available on-site and a course suitable even for beginners. The setting is completed by market stalls, entertainment, and festive lights that keep the square vibrant throughout the holidays.
Concerts, nativity scenes, and traditions
The calendar kicks off on December 6th, the feast day of Saint Nicholas of Bari, the patron saint of Ascea. In the church dedicated to him in Ascea Paese, the La Scala di Seta Christmas concert bridges the patronal feast and the start of the holiday season. In the following weeks, music remains the protagonist with the Christmas concert in the Ascea Marina church, local choirs, and the Angeli Metropolitani gospel choir, leading up to the New Year's concert in early January.
The hamlets preserve the most traditional part of the program. In Terradura, the Presepi nel Presepe (Nativity Scenes within the Nativity) transform the village into a widespread exhibition, featuring Christmas carols, local crafts, and bingo nights; in Mandia, Santa's House opens its doors, followed by the traditional Cilento-style bingo in the school building. These are community moments rather than mere shows: you enter homes, walk through the alleys, and chat over a warm drink.
Markets, fairs, and flavors
- L'ascìa Incanta: from December 20th to 22nd, the historic center of Ascea Paese hosts Christmas markets with folk music and street performers.
- Christmas Village: on December 7th and 8th, Piazza Europa fills with food stands, crafts, and entertainment, including the delivery of letters to Santa Claus.
- Fiera by Night - Christmas Edition: on December 23rd, Corso Elea lights up for an evening combining crafts, gastronomy, and live music.
It is the perfect opportunity to meet local producers: Cilento brings extra virgin olive oil, white figs, goat cheeses, festive sweets, and the products of the Mediterranean diet—which has one of its recognized cradles in these very lands—to the square.
For families and children
A significant part of the program is designed for the little ones: the Grinch Treasure Hunt, the meeting between Santa Claus and the Grinch, Christmas workshops, and puppet shows in Piazza Europa, as well as the Santa Claus Match on the Stampella field and the Befana Festival that concludes everything on January 6th. The bingo nights—held for the Immaculate Conception, charity events, local traditions, and Epiphany—mark the evenings and remain the most cherished collective ritual.
Ascea, between sea and archaeology
Overlooking the Tyrrhenian Sea within the Cilento, Vallo di Diano and Alburni National Park, Ascea is known for its long beach and the Elea-Velia site, a UNESCO World Heritage site and home to the philosophical school of Parmenides and Zeno. In winter, the rhythm changes: the upper village, the hillside hamlets, and the marina rediscover a more intimate atmosphere, and the Christmas program becomes the way the community shares itself with off-season visitors. For those traveling in Campania in December, it is a quiet and authentic alternative to the large urban markets.
Christmas Time Ascea — edition 2026
Presented by the Municipality of Ascea in collaboration with Ascea Turismo, the 2025/2026 edition of Christmas Time Ascea covered an entire month of festivities, from December 6, 2025 to January 6, 2026, involving the main town, the marina, and all the hamlets of the municipal territory.
The most visible novelty was Ascea Winterland, inaugurated on Sunday, December 7th, in Piazza Europa in Ascea Marina: a Ferris wheel with a view of the Gulf of Velia and an ice-skating rink, brought back after the success of the previous year, accompanied by markets and entertainment, which remained in operation until January 8th. Mayor Stefano Sansone explained the desire to offer families, children, and young people a meeting space to experience the holidays together, while the events councilor Renata Di Genio emphasized the widespread nature of the initiative, which also extended to the more inland areas of the Municipality.
The calendar alternated between classical music and popular tradition: from the La Scala di Seta concert in the Church of San Nicola on the patron saint's day to the Presepi nel Presepe in Terradura, from Santa's House in Mandia to the L'ascìa Incanta markets in the historic center, all the way to the Befana Festival on January 6th.
Programme Christmas Time Ascea 2026
December 2025
- Saturday, December 6, 6:00 PM - Christmas Concert La Scala di Seta, Church of San Nicola, Ascea Paese (patron saint day of Saint Nicholas of Bari).
- Sunday, December 7, from 6:00 PM - Inauguration of Ascea Winterland and opening of the Christmas Village: lighting ceremony, Ferris wheel, and ice rink, Piazza Europa, Ascea Marina.
- Monday, December 8, from 6:00 PM - Village opening with letter delivery, Santa's House, and entertainment, Piazza Europa. In the evening, 8:30 PM, Immaculate Conception Bingo at Hotel Buca di Bacco, Ascea Marina.
- Wednesday 10, Friday 12, and Sunday 14 December, from 6:00 PM - Presepi nel Presepe in Terradura: Christmas carols, local crafts, and bingo.
- Saturday, December 13, from 3:30 PM - Santa Claus Match, Stampella field. 8:30 PM: Charity bingo at the Sports Hall in Ascea Paese.
- Sunday, December 14, 7:00 PM - Christmas concert with Piera Lombardi, Church of Ascea Marina.
- From Tuesday 16 to Thursday 18 December, from 5:00 PM - Opening of Santa's House in Mandia.
- Thursday, December 18, 7:00 PM - Cilento-style bingo in the Mandia school building.
- From Saturday 20 to Monday 22 December, from 6:00 PM - L'ascìa Incanta: Christmas markets in the historic center and Piazza Correale, with folk music and street performers.
- Tuesday, December 23, from 5:00 PM - Fiera by Night - Christmas Edition along Corso Elea: crafts, gastronomy, and music.
- Wednesday, December 24, evening - Christmas Eve musical moments in the churches of Catona and Mandia.
- Friday, December 26, from 5:00 PM - Agorà fa Tombola, Corso Elea.
- Saturday, December 27, from 5:00 PM - Grinch Treasure Hunt, Corso Elea.
- Sunday, December 28, from 6:00 PM - Dancing Piano Show, Piazza Europa.
- Monday, December 29, from 3:30 PM - Santa Claus meets the Grinch, Stampella field.
- Tuesday, December 30, from 5:00 PM - Christmas workshops and puppet show, Piazza Europa.
January 2026
- Thursday, January 1, from 6:00 PM - New Year's in the Square, Piazza Europa.
- Friday, January 2, 6:00 PM - New Year's Concert La Scala di Seta, Terradura di Ascea.
- Sunday, January 4, from 6:00 PM - Concert by the gospel choir Angeli Metropolitani and Epiphany Bingo, Baronia.
- Monday, January 5, 8:00 PM - Christmas Stars, Alario Foundation.
- Tuesday, January 6, from 5:00 PM - Befana Festival, Piazza Correale, Ascea Paese.
Ascea Winterland - attraction hours
- Monday to Friday: 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM
- Saturday: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM / 3:30 PM - 10:00 PM
- Sunday: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM / 3:30 PM - 9:00 PM
- From December 22 to January 6: 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM / 3:30 PM - 10:00 PM
- December 25 and January 1: 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM
The Piazza Europa village remained open until January 8, 2026. The program was subject to change; updates were provided on the official channels of the Municipality of Ascea and Ascea Turismo.
Highlights Christmas Time Ascea 2026
- Ascea Winterland in Piazza Europa: Ferris wheel with a view of the Gulf of Velia and an ice-skating rink, from December 7th to January 8th.
- Opening concert La Scala di Seta in the Church of San Nicola, December 6th, the patron saint's day.
- L'ascìa Incanta, the Christmas markets in the historic center from December 20th to 22nd with folk music.
- Presepi nel Presepe in Terradura and Santa's House in Mandia: the Christmas of the hillside hamlets.
- Fiera by Night - Christmas Edition on Corso Elea on December 23rd, featuring crafts and Cilento gastronomy.
- Befana Festival on January 6th in Piazza Correale, closing the program.
Prices Christmas Time Ascea 2026
Practical information — Christmas Time Ascea
How to get there
By car: A2 del Mediterraneo motorway, exit at Battipaglia, then follow the SS18 towards Vallo della Lucania and take the junction for Ascea. By train: the Ascea station is on the Salerno-Reggio Calabria line, a few minutes' walk from Piazza Europa and Ascea Marina. Nearest airport: Salerno-Costa d'Amalfi; alternatively, Naples-Capodichino.
Where it takes place
Events are spread out: Piazza Europa and Corso Elea in Ascea Marina, the Church of San Nicola and Piazza Correale in Ascea Paese, plus the hamlets of Mandia, Terradura, Catona, and Baronia. It is advisable to travel by car between the marina and the hills, with free parking available near the square.
Admission and tips
Events in the calendar are free to enter, unless otherwise indicated. For the Ferris wheel and the ice rink, information can be obtained directly at the village in Piazza Europa, where skates are available on-site. Windy evenings on the seafront: warm clothing is recommended.
Information
Municipality of Ascea - Tourism Office, tel. +39 0974 977008, e-mail [email protected]. Updates are available on the social media pages EventiAscea and Ascea Turismo.
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Where does it take place — Christmas Time Ascea
Piazza Europa (Ascea Marina), Ascea Paese, Mandia e Terradura
Piazza Europa, 84046 Ascea