Rieti Christmas Market (MAKO Square)

A Christmas market born from a farmers' market

The Rieti Christmas Market takes place in the square of M.A.K.O., the farm-to-table agricultural market of the Montepiano Reatino, located on Via Micioccoli in the district of the same name in Rieti, the provincial capital in the heart of the Lazio region. This is not a tourist-trap market; it is held where local farmers meet every week, which is why it retains a genuine, neighborhood feel, quite different from the grand Christmas showcases found in major art cities.

What you will find among the stalls

During the holidays, the square fills with stalls and huts dedicated to Christmas. The selection is designed primarily for those looking for last-minute gifts and those wanting to add a festive touch to their homes.

• Gift ideas: artisanal crafts and Christmas-themed items;
• Home decorations: ornaments for the tree, festive decor, and handmade creations;
• Christmas sweets: and gastronomic specialties from the Rieti area;
• Farm-to-table products: the very heart of the M.A.K.O. market.

M.A.K.O., the heart of the local supply chain

The Montepiano Reatino farm-to-table market was created to promote local agricultural production and support short supply chains. The participating companies come from the twelve municipalities of the Mountain Community: Cantalice, Cittaducale, Colli sul Velino, Contigliano, Greccio, Labro, Leonessa, Monte San Giovanni in Sabina, Montenero Sabino, Morro Reatino, Poggio Bustone, and Rivodutri. This geography perfectly represents the Sabina and Rieti mountain areas: cheeses, cured meats, legumes, honey, olive oil, preserves, and baked goods. During the Christmas market, this network of producers remains the natural backdrop of the event, allowing visitors to easily combine gift shopping with high-quality grocery shopping for their holiday meals.

The opening with the Rieti Band

The market's opening day, traditionally December 20th, is accompanied by a musical performance by the Rieti Band, which officially kicks off the neighborhood's holiday season. It is a beloved moment for the locals: the city band is a historic presence in the city's musical life, and their performance turns the square into a small village festival.

Christmas in Rieti: from the historic center to nativity scenes

The M.A.K.O. market is part of a rich city-wide Christmas calendar. During the same period, the historic center of Rieti hosts other events—craft markets, band concerts, and children's shows at the Teatro Flavio Vespasiano—while the province celebrates its most famous tradition in Greccio, where Saint Francis of Assisi created the world's first nativity scene in 1223. Visitors to Rieti during the holidays can build a complete itinerary: the neighborhood market at M.A.K.O., the lights of the historic center, and a visit to the sanctuaries of the Holy Rieti Valley.

Why it is worth visiting

It is a family-friendly, free, open-air market that lasts throughout the holidays until Epiphany. It does not promise spectacular stage sets, but it offers something that large markets often lose: direct contact with local producers and an authentically local atmosphere in the municipality of Rieti and the Lazio region.