Events in Bardolino follow the rhythm of the wine and the lake. Two major wine festivals frame spring and autumn, and around them a steady run of markets, food fairs and village gatherings fills the months from Easter to Christmas. Dates shift from one year to the next, so you will find the current calendar just below, and further down what to expect from each season, to help you choose when to come.
The Bardolino events calendar
The two wine festivals
The Palio del Chiaretto is the spring event, usually held between late May and early June. It celebrates Bardolino Chiaretto, the local rosé, a lighter sibling of the red the town is named after. The wineries set up tasting stands along the lakefront and in Parco Carrara Bottagisio, with music, prize-givings and a regatta on the water. In recent years the festival has extended to neighbouring Lazise. You collect a glass and tasting vouchers at the entrance.
The Festa dell’Uva e del Vino, the grape and wine festival, is the town’s biggest and oldest event. It began in 1929 to mark the grape harvest, and it returns every year between late September and the first days of October. It runs along the lakeside promenade, from Punta Mirabello to Punta Cornicello, and through the streets of the old centre. You can taste Bardolino, a light red made from local grapes such as Corvina and Rondinella, in its various styles from Classico to Superiore, alongside traditional Veronese dishes. The festival closes with fireworks over the lake. Entry is free, and you pay only for what you taste, stand by stand.
Spring: oil, tulips and Easter on the lakefront
The season opens around Easter, when the lakefront hosts a market of regional produce and crafts, with space set aside for families. April brings Olivum, devoted to the Garda’s extra virgin olive oil and held as part of Italy’s national Made in Italy day. If you like gardens, Tulipanomania fills the green spaces with a large spring bloom from late March through to the end of April.
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Summer: the lake after dark and Il Bardolino Freddo
In summer the lakefront stays lively well into the night, with evening markets, music and bars open by the water. The date to note is Il Bardolino Freddo, in late August, given over to the chilled version of the wine: a recent idea that has quickly become a fixture in the town’s calendar.
Autumn and winter: from harvest to Christmas
After the grape festival, as the holidays approach the lakefront is dressed for Natale a Bardolino, the town’s Christmas season, with markets and lights from the second half of November through to Epiphany. In the nearby hamlet of Cisano you can see a floating nativity scene on the water, a tradition of the winter months. In February, Carnival brings floats along the shore.
The weekly markets
Beyond the big festivals, Bardolino has its regular fixtures. The weekly market is held on Thursdays along the shore, with stalls of food, clothing and crafts. On Saturdays, in Piazza del Combattimento, there is the Campagna Amica farmers’ market, with local growers.
Making the most of the events
The big wine festivals are free to enter: you pay only for the tastings, usually with a glass and vouchers collected at the entrance. For good weather and fewer crowds, May and September are the best months; July and August are livelier but busier and pricier. For the two main wine events it is worth booking your accommodation well ahead, as the town fills up.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main events in Bardolino? The two wine festivals, the Palio del Chiaretto in spring and the Festa dell’Uva e del Vino in autumn, along with Olivum for olive oil, Il Bardolino Freddo in late summer, and the Easter and Christmas events on the lakefront.
When is the Bardolino grape and wine festival? Every year between late September and the first days of October. The exact dates change from edition to edition and appear in the calendar on this page.
When is the Palio del Chiaretto? In spring, usually between late May and early June, in Bardolino and neighbouring Lazise.
Are events in Bardolino free? Entry to the festivals is free. You pay only for what you taste or buy at the stands.
When is the best time to visit Bardolino? May and September for the weather and smaller crowds, October for the grape festival, and summer for the evening life by the lake.
