Gossywood – Week of Nonsense (Gossensass Carnival)

A carnival that returns only every five years

Gossywood – Week of Nonsense is the grand carnival of Colle Isarco (Gossensass), the main village of the Brenner (Brenner) municipality in the province of Bolzano, located in the heart of the Upper Wipptal in Trentino-South Tyrol. This is not an annual event: for about half a century, the village has celebrated this extraordinary carnival only every five years, and this rarity makes it one of the most anticipated and cherished events in the entire valley. When the right year arrives, the quiet mountain village transforms for a full week into the cheeky town of "Gossywood," complete with a name that playfully riffs on Hollywood.

The Week of Nonsense

The carnival takes the form of a true Week of Nonsense, a week of madness where the town center becomes a long boulevard of festivities. The program alternates between events for adults and children: the children's parade and the "classic" Shrove Thursday parade, dance nights like the Friday Jukeboxnight, themed parties in local venues and old town discos reopened for the occasion, carnival games and races, all leading up to the election of "Miss Gossywood" and the grand lottery draw. Each day has its highlight, in a crescendo that involves associations, local conscripts, and volunteers from the entire community.

The grand Sunday parade

The heart of the event is the grand carnival Sunday parade, which traditionally kicks off at the symbolic time of 1:33 PM. About forty groups and floats, the result of months of work by various local associations, parade through the streets. The floats interpret major current issues with satire and self-irony: from the traffic situation at the Brenner Pass to the most discussed topics of the moment. The local brass band, the Vereinskapelle Gossensaß, accompanies the children and enlivens the procession with colorful costumes and cheerful music. Thousands of spectators line the route, and the party continues until evening with music, food stalls, and dancing.

Organization and community

The event is organized by the Aktionsgruppe Brenner EO, with the support of the tourist office and all the village associations, from the brass band to youth groups. This choral character, which sees the entire village working together for years in preparation for the event, is what makes Gossywood an identity-defining event for Colle Isarco and the entire Brenner area.

When it takes place

Given its five-year cycle, Gossywood does not have an annual edition: the last one was held from February 27 to March 3, 2025, while the next is expected in 2030. For this reason, no dates or programs are announced for the intermediate years.