5th January - LA FARFALLA D'ORO (The Golden Butterfly)
It is a children music/singing competition since 1991. The final performance takes place on 5th January every year at The Serpent Aureo Theatre.
January - Biennial Fiction Prize "Città di Offida – Joyce Lussu"
It is a literary prize for short story collections, created by Offida Municipality in 2006, with the collaboration of Ascoli Piceno Provincial Administration, Region Marche, the Study Centre "Joyce Lussu", the Worker Mutual Aid Society of Porto San Giorgio and Offida Comprehensive School, in memory of the famous writer, who lived in Marche for a long time. It has become an important event at a national level, one of the fixed appointments with the literary world. The prizegiving ceremony has always represented a high level cultural event during which theatre, music and literature alternate
Carnival
Good Friday – THE DEAD CHRIST PROCESSION
It takes place in the evening of Good Friday and is related to an ancient tradition of medieval confraternities; it is so called since the Coffin with the Dead Christ, usually kept inside the church of Our Lady of Sorrows, is carried in procession along the streets of the town centre.
3rd May – THE FEAST OF THE HOLY CROSS
Celebrated on 3rd May to commemorate the Eucharistic Miracle occurred in Lanciano, a town in the Abruzzi, in 1273 and whose remains are still preserved in the chapel inside the church of St. Augustine.
First week of July – FESTIVAL OF THE THRESHING NOODLES, BOAR AND OTHER SPECIALITIES
It is a festival that takes place in Santa Maria Goretti. On this occasion it is possible to taste some of the typical dishes of our local cuisine based on our rural culture, such as noodles with a chicken giblet sauce, specially prepared during threshing time.
July – THE WEEK OF PILLOW LACE
A hole week organized with the aim of better appreciating/enhancing/promoting the art of pillow lace as a historic and cultural heritage. Among the several events that enliven the Week there are specific laboratories, competitions, guided visits regarding lace making, meetings about local art handicraft and important exhibitions at national level. To make this event even more important there is the competition "Il Fusello d'Oro" (The Golden Bobbin) organized by the local Pro Loco since 1999. Every year the lace makers are given a theme to design their lace works on.
Second week of July – GUSTANDOFFIDA
It is an event organized by the local Pro Loco with the support of the Town Administration. It consists of an itinerant dinner through the narrow streets/lanes of the town centre, to discover new and charming corners.
Second week of July – CIBORGHI D'ITALIA
CiBorghi is a Festival of Italy Most Beautiful Villages' Food organized by the Town Administration, with the collaboration of the Cooperative Society OIKOS. It aims at offering the most typical gastronomical specialities presented by all the villages included in the net, keeping well in mind that food traditions represent as precious a heritage as art, cultural and naturalistic properties do. The project consists of alternating different food delegations every night, each coming from villages of different regions or provinces, in order to have a wide representation of Italian regional cuisines.
Last week of July – PICENO MANGIALONGA
A beautiful walk through Offida DOCG vineyards admiring panoramic views, colours and scents of the "Piceno territory" with the purpose of promoting our wine and food excellencies involving local wine producers, chefs and craftsmen. 11,5 Km of good cuisine, local products and good wine divided into two routes/itineraries through Marche countryside.
Last Saturday of July – MARCHE JAZZ & WINE FESTIVAL
It consists of guided tastings and dinners with typical local dishes while listening to jazz concerts in the historic centre till late at night. Through narrow lanes, little squares, yards and cellars it is possible to discover lovely places accompanied by quality food and jazz music.
Thanks to the success of all the editions, it has become an important event at regional level in which Offida properly represents the Piceno and its excellencies and consequently it is an appointment not to be missed.
First Saturday and Sunday of August – FEAST OF STUFFED CHICHÌ
This festival has a long tradition and it is fully devoted to Chichì, a typical local gastronomic specialty. This two-day festival takes place on the first Saturday and Sunday of August in Piazza del Popolo where it is also possible to taste good local wine and enjoy good live music.
Last week of August – THE MUTTON AND STROZZAPRETI FESTIVAL
This festival takes place during the last week of August in Borgo Miriam hamlet. it is a unique occasion for tasting the local mutton stew and “strozzapreti” seasoned with tomato sauce.
23rd August – FEAST OF THE BLESSED BERNARDO
It takes place every year on 23rd August in Cappuccini district. The feast programme includes both solemn and civil ceremonies. The religious part starts with several masses celebrated at Blessed Bernardo’s birthplace and continues with the long procession which takes place on 22nd August, the day of Bernardo’s death, occurred in 1694. Further masses are celebrated in the Capuchins’ Church on 23rd August, where the congregation gathers to visit the small chamber of the dead friar.
Last week of August – INTERNATIONAL F.O.F.
It is a festival of street theatre based on puppetry (puppets, marionettes, object theatre) and other theatre branches/disciplines (magic, clownery, street theatre). The shows are thought for families so they are suitable for everybody.
First week of September – OFFIDA TO OPERA
It is an event entirely dedicated to high quality opera, not only for experts, and aiming at enhancing and promoting the artistic properties and the most characteristic and enchanting places of our territory.
September/December – SERPENTE AUREO NATIONAL FESTIVAL OF AMATEUR THEATRE – CITY OF OFFIDA
It is a festival of amateur theatre to which many companies from all over Italy take part. After a careful selection by a jury of experts, the most voted companies perform at the Serpente Aureo Theatre. The audience itself votes the best play, consequently choosing who wins/the winner
November - BIENNIAL JOURNALISTIC COMPETITION "TONINO CARINO PRIZE"
It is a biennial journalistic competition in memory of Tonino Carino, organized by Offida Municipality in order to support a correct journalistic information and the journalists' professional care for what regards promoting our territorial realities. Many famous national journalists take part to the final.
THEY SAID…
Tra svaghi... tra le luminarie sfolgoreggianti... e le danze e i tripudi a ricreazione delle donne,... era pure la bella costumanza di correre l'anello di argento
Guglielmo Allevi, A zonzo per Offida