Spring Festival in Santa Teresa di Riva

Street Food, flower procession and live music: as every year spring returns and as in the seventies, Santa Teresa di Riva in the Metropolitan City of Messina is preparing to welcome the arrival of summer with a large street party, in the neighborhood Torrevarata.

The Spring Festival in Santa Teresa di Riva in the month of April is a whirlwind of colours, scents, flavors and emotions, with which the inhabitants of Santa Teresa greet the arrival of Spring: the most awaited event of the festival is the traditional procession with the passage of the flower cart which, led by Miss Primavera and her maids, crosses all the main streets of the centre; in the city there are food stands, to taste the best local products and typical dishes of Sicilian cuisine, while live music fills the atmosphere with its positive energy and participants can relax and have fun watching the street entertainment that enlivens the party.

The procession is made up of musicians, artists and actors in historical costumes, who bring the folklore of the island to the streets with flag-wavers crossing the center to the roll of drums.

Miss Primavera is elected among the girls of the city to lead the procession, while the inhabitants of Santa Teresa will decorate their balconies with the most beautiful flowers of the season, participating in the floral competitions set up for the occasion.

Anyone who participates as a tourist in this festival will be able to admire them all the beauties of the Sicilian Spring.

The history of the Spring Festival in Santa Teresa di Riva

The Spring Festival in Santa Teresa di Riva was born in the seventies, confirming itself after just 7 editions as one of the most popular events in the area, making Santa Teresa di Riva one of the most popular spring destinations for tourists, precisely because many wanted to participate in this event.

Suspended for almost forty years, the Spring Festival has returned since 2015 to warm up the spring days on the island, with its unique colors and flavours, promoting local gastronomic products and the beauties natural features of the Ionian coast in the marine hamlet of Santa Teresa di Riva.

The event is sponsored by the Municipality of Santa Teresa di Riva, in collaboration with local personalities such as Vittorio Bruno, founder of the event and always new Sicilian artists who, thanks to their artistic performances, make the Spring Festival unforgettable, like every year.

When is the Spring Festival held?

Traditionally the Spring Festival takes place in April, from the 23rd to the 26th of the month; in the past the event was also held in the months of March and May.

Where the Spring Festival takes place

Santa Teresa di Riva is a small town in the Messina area, overlooking the Ionian coast of Sicily and populated by just under 10.000 people. On the occasion of the Spring Festival, all the main streets in the center are filled with flowers and everywhere in the city it is possible to taste local products and watch the shows. The heart of the event is the Torrevarata district, where the procession originates in Via Roma.

What to do during the Spring Festival

Have fun, taste the best products of the Sicilian table and greet the winter: this is what you can do by participating in the Spring Festival of Santa Teresa di Riva. Furthermore, you can discover the beauties of the city and also explore the surroundings.

Starting from the historic center, you can visit the Shrine of Santa Maria del Carmelo, Mother Church of the city and a beautiful example of neo-Romanesque architecture, with sacred furnishings and works of art to be admired inside; also the other churches in the centre, such as the Church of the Holy Family, are stops not to be forgotten for those who love the history of art or want to visit the main places of worship in the city.

Relaxing in the open air, especially with the first hottest days of the year, will be a pleasure to share with the local inhabitants in the park of Villa Crisafulli Ragno, a neo-classical style villa which also houses the city library; with a visit to the Torre dei Saraceni, on the other hand, you will take a step back in time, up to the year XNUMX.

In the Bucalo district, which takes its name from the noble family that ruled these lands in the XNUMXth century, you will also find a nineteenth-century aqueduct and several ancient wells, but we suggest you visit all the districts of the city, to discover the other treasures hidden in the streets and squares of Santa Teresa di Riva.

In addition to the sea, which is crystal clear in these parts, you can also reach the hamlet of Misserio, in the hinterland about 8 km from the centre, to stroll in the suggestive historic centre.

From Santa Teresa di Riva, if you wish, with just forty minutes of travel, you can get to Messina, to also visit the big city with its natural beauties such as the Botanical Garden or the big downtown attractions, like the Duomo or the Church of Santissima Annunziata dei Catalani.
In the summer, we also recommend a visit to Castel Gonzaga.

How to get to Santa Teresa di Riva

Santa Teresa di Riva, just 38 km from Messina, can be easily reached by train and by car: getting off at the Santa Teresa di Riva station you will find yourself directly in the centre, while if you prefer to travel by car, take the Roccalumera exit, from 'A18 Messina-Catania, just 3 km from the centre.