Maria Ausiliatrice Festival – Giostra District

The Giostra district festival

The Maria Ausiliatrice Festival is the patronal feast of the Giostra district, one of the most populous and distinctive neighborhoods in the northern part of Messina (5th District). It is celebrated annually on the Sunday following May 24th, the date the Church commemorates Maria Ausiliatrice, a Marian title particularly dear to the Salesian family founded by Don Bosco.

The heart of the festival is the San Matteo parish, entrusted to the Salesian Community of Giostra: the San Matteo Oratory, together with local neighborhood associations, coordinates the entire event. For generations, the festival has been a cornerstone of social cohesion for the district, bringing families together through a calendar that blends religious devotion with popular traditions.

A week of events

The celebration extends well beyond a single day: for about a week, the neighborhood hosts a series of initiatives leading up to the main solemnity. Evenings alternate between prayer—daily rosaries and masses dedicated to specific community groups (expectant mothers, families, people with disabilities)—and entertainment open to all: cabaret and musical shows, dance recitals, plays in the parish theater, food festivals, and group games. Artistic illuminations light up the main streets, creating the typical atmosphere of a village feast transplanted into the urban fabric of the district.

The procession and fireworks

The most anticipated moment is the procession of the Maria Ausiliatrice statue, which winds through the streets of Giostra on Sunday evening with thousands of faithful participating. The long, solemn parade starts from the Piazza San Giovanni Bosco area and travels along Via Monte Scuderi and the district's main arteries, featuring stops, hymns, and the characteristic shower of tens of thousands of colorful paper scraps. Upon the statue's return, the highly anticipated fireworks display lights up the district sky, bringing a day dedicated to devotion and community to a festive close.

Salesian devotion and neighborhood identity

The Giostra festival is part of the Salesian Marian tradition that celebrates Maria Ausiliatrice around May 24th throughout Italy. In Messina, this devotion takes on the character of a local patronal feast, deeply rooted in the life of the neighborhood and the history of the San Matteo parish. For visitors, it is an opportunity to discover an authentic, grassroots side of Messina, far from more famous city-wide celebrations like the Vara or the August Giants, yet equally cherished by the local community.