White Night of San Giorgio di Piano

A White Night in the Heart of the Bolognese Plain

The White Night of San Giorgio di Piano is one of the most beloved events of the Reno Galliera Union, in the plain north of Bologna. For one night a year, usually in late spring, the historic center of the municipality becomes entirely pedestrian and comes alive from aperitif time until midnight. Shops and boutiques remain open, the squares fill with stalls and crowds, and the entire town transforms into a large space for widespread celebration.

What to Find Downtown

The program is designed for all ages and mixes commerce, gastronomy, and entertainment. Along the streets of the center, you will find:

• open shops and restaurants, with special promotions and offers for the evening;
• creative craft markets that color the streets of the center;
• food stalls and food trucks, with options also for those with celiac disease;
• live music, dancing, and shows in various parts of the town;
• games, entertainment, and workshops for children, carousels, and bouncy castles;
• a go-kart track and other attractions for the younger crowd.

The Edition Dedicated to Giulietta Masina

San Giorgio di Piano is the birthplace of Giulietta Masina, an icon of Italian cinema, actress, and muse of Federico Fellini, born here on February 21, 1921. For this reason, the most recent edition of the White Night was dedicated to her figure, intertwining the town festival with the memory of one of the most celebrated performers of the 20th century. The organization invites participants to respect the white dress code, a symbol of elegance, light, and festive spirit.

Who Organizes the Festival

The White Night is promoted by the Municipality of San Giorgio di Piano together with Ascom Confcommercio and the merchants' association In Centro a San Giorgio, in collaboration with local businesses. It is an event that combines the promotion of local commerce with the social aspect of a festive evening, and it has now become a stable fixture in the calendar of white nights and street festivals of the Bolognese summer.

A Town Event in Emilia-Romagna

While remaining a town-sized festival, the White Night of San Giorgio di Piano well represents the spirit of street festivals in Emilia-Romagna: a simple and welcoming occasion where residents and visitors from neighboring towns gather to stroll, eat, shop, and enjoy music and outdoor shows, in a historic center closed to traffic and returned to pedestrians.