Comics Carnival

A carnival born from the neighborhood

The Comics Carnival is the winter festival of Torrino Mezzocammino, a neighborhood in Municipio IX of the Rome municipality, in the Metropolitan City of Rome Capital, Lazio region. It is not a manufactured tourist event: it was born from the initiative of residents and is organized by the ViviAmo Torrino Mezzocammino Social Promotion Association, which over the years has turned it into the most anticipated date on the local calendar. The heart of the festival is Piazza Guido Crepax, the public space that gives the event its name and meaning.

Why «Comics»?

The uniqueness of this carnival lies entirely in the neighborhood's street names. Torrino Mezzocammino is the only area in Rome where streets, squares, and green spaces are named after authors and characters of Italian comics: starting with Guido Crepax, walking here means crossing a true atlas of speech bubbles, leading to the Comics Park, the neighborhood's main green space. The Comics Carnival takes its name and identity from there: masks, drawing, and visual storytelling become the common thread of a festival that speaks to children but unites the entire community.

The parade and the atmosphere

The central moment of the day is the masked parade, which starts from the square and winds through the neighborhood streets. It is opened by Caracca, the percussion group that accompanies the procession with an explosion of rhythm, turning the street into an open-air batucada. Along with them, Disney characters parade, accompanying the little ones along the route and stopping in the square for photos, greetings, and meetings with families.

The organizers describe the event as a festival that «colors the streets and warms the heart of the community»: an event that gathers great emotions and memories linked to the enthusiasm of the masked parade, the celebration in the company of parents and friends, and the continuous discovery of the many expressions of art, from dance to drawing to music.

A growing neighborhood festival

• Format: one-day outdoor neighborhood carnival with a parade, entertainment, and live music.
• Audience: families, children, and teenagers from the neighborhood and nearby districts of Municipio IX.
• Management: ViviAmo Torrino Mezzocammino association, with the support of local entities and sponsors such as the Banca di Credito Cooperativo di Roma.
• Growth: the 2025 edition surpassed the participation numbers of previous years, confirming the event as one of the most popular in the area.

The Roman carnival outside the center

In Rome, the Carnival is not limited to the re-enactments of the historic center: for years, the consolidated suburban neighborhoods have been producing the most vibrant experiences, with self-managed parades, children's processions, and street parties organized by committees and associations. The Comics Carnival is one of the most successful examples of this Rome of the municipalities, where the festival is also a tool of collective identity for a recently built neighborhood that, through comics, has given itself a recognizable imagery.

When and where

The event falls during the Carnival period, between February and March depending on the liturgical calendar, and takes place over a Sunday. The meeting point is always Piazza Guido Crepax, reachable from Via Ostiense and Via del Mare, a few minutes from EUR. For those arriving from outside the neighborhood, it is recommended to check the date and times on the organizing association's channels, which publish the program in the preceding weeks.