Epiphany at Piazza Mercato - Toy and Stocking Fair

Naples' most anticipated Epiphany

In the days leading up to the Epiphany, Piazza Mercato and the adjacent Piazza del Carmine return to what they have been for centuries: the great popular market of Naples. The Toy and Stocking Fair occupies the two squares of the Mercato district with dozens of decorated and illuminated wooden stalls, bringing the so-called Befana Village to life. It is an event that the Municipality of Naples has relaunched in recent years and has already become one of the most attended moments of the winter calendar in Campania: the previous edition recorded approximately 50,000 visitors over three days.

Fifty-four stalls filled with toys, stockings, and sweets

The commercial heart of the event is the fair itself: 54 wooden stalls, forty arranged in Piazza del Carmine and fourteen in Piazza Mercato. Inside and around these structures, you can find everything needed for the final night of the holidays.

• Toys of every kind, from classic wooden games to the latest trends
• Pre-packaged Befana stockings and loose sweets sold by weight
• Christmas decorations, fairy lights, and small handicrafts
• Food stands featuring Neapolitan street food, from fried pizza to festive sweets

The stalls remain open until midnight, and the influx of families grows by the hour, with the peak occurring in the late afternoon of January 5th, when half the city heads to Piazza Mercato to buy the last stocking.

Music, parades, and concerts in monumental churches

Alongside the fair, a cultural program takes advantage of the district's extraordinary heritage. The churches of Sant'Eligio Maggiore, Santa Maria la Scala, and San Giovanni a Mare—some of the city's most important medieval buildings—open their doors for free concerts and evening guided tours. The square, meanwhile, hosts parades, marching bands, majorettes, and the large stage for the final evening. It is a formula that combines street festivities with the rediscovery of a historical heritage that many Neapolitans no longer know.

The January 5th 'White Night'

The highlight is the eve of the Epiphany: the fair stays open until late at night, and the concert in the square brings artists from the contemporary Neapolitan scene to the stage, including neomelodic singers, rappers, and comedians. The white night of Piazza Mercato is now a recognized tradition, with thousands of people staying in the square until the dawn of the Epiphany.

Solidarity: 'Donate a toy that gives a smile'

For nearly thirty years, the fair has been accompanied by the 'Donate a toy that gives a smile' campaign, promoted by local associations: visitors can leave a new or gently used toy, which will then be distributed to children from families in need in the district and the II Municipality. It is the trait that best describes the spirit of the event, which was also born as a social project.

A district reclaiming the spotlight

Piazza Mercato is one of the most history-laden squares in Naples: the theater of the city market since the 13th century, the site of Masaniello's revolt in 1647, and dominated by the bulk of the Sanctuary of the Carmine Maggiore with its bell tower. After decades of decay, the Municipality of Naples and the associations of the Mercato-Orefici Territory Promotion Forum, together with Assogioca, the Antiche Botteghe Mercato, and the Antico Borgo Orefici Consortium, chose the Epiphany as a lever to return the square to the city. The fair is now one of the identity-defining events of the Metropolitan City of Naples and one of the most visited in all of Campania during the Christmas period.

Who it is for

Admission is free, and the event is designed for families with children, but it works just as well for those visiting Naples during these days who are looking for an authentic experience, far from the tourist circuits of the historic center. We recommend arriving in the afternoon, when the lights turn on and the square fills up.