El Carnascial de Moena

The Ladin Carnival in the heart of the Val di Fassa

El Carnascial de Moena is the Ladin Carnival of the town of Moena, a picturesque village nestled in the Dolomites of the Val di Fassa, in the Trentino-Alto Adige region. This is no ordinary carnival: it is part of the Fassano Carnival, an ancient tradition involving all the villages in the valley, spanning from January 17th to Shrove Tuesday. Its roots lie in the rituals of the ancient Ladin farming communities, who celebrated the arrival of spring in this unique way.

Traditional masks and characters

The true treasure of the Carnascial lies in the wooden masks hand-carved by Moena's finest artisans: the facères, traditionally crafted from cirmolo (Arolla pine), the typical wood of the Dolomites. While the Ladin Carnival features characters common throughout the Val di Fassa, Moena boasts its own unmistakable figures:

• Lonc: towering figures concealing men on stilts, draped in white sheets;
• Arlechins: usually appearing in pairs, wearing pointed hats, cowbells, and multicolored trousers, with their faces hidden behind white veils, they chase children with whips;
• Bufon: recognizable by his long nose and vibrant costume, he tells stories and jokes in rhyme;
• Laché and Marascons: the carnival ambassador and the large figures adorned with side-mounted cowbells, symbolizing the bond between the inhabitants and their livestock.

Following the parades, the mascherèdes take place—short, humorous sketches performed in the Ladin language that playfully poke fun at the differences between locals and visitors.

A dual celebration: on the snow and in the square

The Carnascial de Moena revolves around two main events. The first is Carnascial de Moena su la neif, held at high altitude in Lusialand, the snow playground at Alpe Lusia accessible via the Ronchi-Valbona cable car. It is a morning of snow games, riddles, and fun designed for families and children, open even to non-skiers. The second, the grand finale, is the Shrove Tuesday party in the town square, featuring a parade of masks and floats, costume contests, carnival bingo, face painting, traditional fortaie pastries, hot drinks, and music.

An authentic Dolomite experience

Attending the Carnascial de Moena means immersing yourself in one of the most vibrant folk traditions of Trentino-Alto Adige, where Ladin culture is not just a postcard-perfect display, but a living identity. The masks, the language, the games, and the characters tell centuries of Alpine history in a Dolomite village that transforms into an open-air stage in the heart of winter.