The Ladin Carnival is extremely long (as much as a month!). It is celebrated in the Val di Fassa Valley, in the North-Eastern part of Trentino, and in particular in the villages of Canazei, Moena, Campitello di Fassa, Mazzin, Pozza di Fassa, Vigo di Fassa e Soraga di Fassa. This tradition is very old, and goes back to the rituals of the ancient peoples who used to celebrate the end of winter.
As in other Alpine Carnivals, the main characters wear wonderful handcrafted wooden masks (usually made of Swiss stone pine wood). Here this masks are called Facères. The main characters are the Bufòn, with a long nose and a cone-shaped hat decorated with ribbons, who uses to embarrass girls and tells stories and rhymed jokes, the Laché, wearing flashy clothes and leading the parade, and the Marascòns, big masks with belts with bronze cowbells which represent the strong relationships between locals and cattle. These three characters are followed by many other Facères "da bèl" (beautiful masks) and "da burt" (ugly masks), representing positive and negative aspects of life.
All masks run in the village streets forming a loud and merry parade, and after the parade come the Mascherèdes, short farcical comedies which usually represent a funny comparison between locals and outsiders. And in the end come the music player, and the dance will last until late at night.
The Ladin Carnival is celebrated in other villages of Val di Fassa as well, and each one has its own peculiarities and characters. In Moena we find the Arlèchins (usually two), wearing a pointed hat, cowbells, multicolored trousers and whose face is covered by a white veil, running after children and scaring them with a riding whips, and the Lonc, very tall masks hiding men walking on stilts and covered by a white sheet. These appear at dusk to frighten people.
Pozza, Vigo di Fassa and Soraga have the om dal bosch (the man of the forest, a frightening and wild character) and the coscrit te ceston, which represents a woman carrying into her wicker backpack her frightened 18-year-old son, on the road to the enlistment physical.
Programme
Carnival on the Fountains
Centre of Vigo and surrounding hamlets – Vigo di Fassa (San Giovanni di Fassa)
30 January 2026 | 10:00 am
From 24 January to 22 February, Vigo di Fassa turns into a charming open-air itinerary dedicated to the Ladin Carnival. A themed route leads locals and visitors through the most picturesque streets of the village, where 12 fountains are decorated with small handcrafted huts created by private citizens, schools and volunteer associations.
Each installation tells a different story of Ladin tradition: from the famous facères, the traditional Carnival masks, to colourful costumes, legends and ancient good-luck rituals deeply rooted in the history of the valley.
Fountains and participating groups:
Strada de la Pieif: A.P.S.P. de Fascia
Strada Neva: Cooperativa Sociale Inout
Strada de la Torn de Vich: Laboratorio sociale
Strada de Piz: Marta Sasso
Piaz de Vich: Associazione Bambi
Strada de Solar: Oratorio
Val – Strada de Val (Crist): Vigo Primary School, Classes I and II
Costa – Strada de Somcosta: Mùsega da Vich
Costa – Strada de Costa: San Giovanni di Fassa Middle School
Larcioné: Gruppo Larzonei
Valongia: Gruppo Vallonga
Tamion (Pozat): Marcello Weiss
Ladin Carnival in Campitello di Fassa
15 February | 2:30 pm
The highlight of the Ladin Carnival takes place in Campitello di Fassa, with the grand parade held on the Sunday before Shrove Tuesday. The procession starts from Piaz de Ciampedel and opens with the solemn entrance of the famous Grop de la Mescrès de Ciampedèl, the unmistakable symbol of the celebration.
Laché, Bufon and Marascons parade in sumptuous, richly decorated costumes — true works of art that make this Carnival unique throughout the Alpine region. What follows is a lively procession of floats, music, masks, jokes and laughter filling the village centre.
The protagonists wear the traditional “facères da bel e da burt”, wooden masks hand-carved by local artisans: some elegant and refined, others grotesque and ironic, all telling stories and preserving the cultural heritage of Val di Fassa.
This year’s theme is dedicated to the Olympics and winter sports, with many references to snow, competitions and Alpine disciplines.
Grand Carnival Celebration
Village centre and Piaz J.B. Massar – Vigo di Fassa (San Giovanni di Fassa)
17 February | 2:30 pm
In Vigo di Fassa, Carnival comes to a festive close with the final celebration starting at 2:30 pm, when the streets fill with colour during the parade of allegorical floats. Leading the procession are once again the iconic Ladin masks — Bufon, Laché and Marascons — symbolically marking the end of Carnival and the beginning of Lent.
Each edition features a different theme, inspiring the creation of the floats and sparking the imagination of the entire community. Participants include sports, cultural and volunteer associations, the coscritti of Sèn Jan (young people turning 18 in 2026), as well as children from kindergarten and primary school, making the event a true celebration for all ages.
