Venetian Festival
Encyclopedia
Venetian festivals are held in cities in Europe and North America. They are based on carnival, or carnevale, the period just before Lent, as celebrated in the 17th century in Venice, Italy. Venetian festivals re-create the fantasy of the earlier events with food, costumes, masks, music, theater, juggling and other spectacles. The masks and costumes are worn by people who often travel from other countries to attend and perform (or parade) in these festivals. The elaborate costumes and masks are handmade by artisans from various countries. Many involve male and female or group versions and are based on old Venetian characters and costumes.
In the US, one Venetian Festival is held annually on the third weekend of July on Silver Beach
in St. Joseph, Michigan
, a small town on the coast of Lake Michigan
in southwest Michigan. It started in 1979, and has grown from a handful of people to nearly 200,000 visitors since its inception. Once a two-day event on Friday and Saturday, this festival now runs from Thursday through Sunday and features an expanding variety of sights, sounds, and tastes, including among them contests, food, music, fireworks
, a lighted boat parade, and a carnival.
Another Venetian Festival is held in Charlevoix, Michigan
and started in 1930. There is also a Venetian Festival held in Saugatuck, Michigan just up the coast from St. Joe every year. It is a twin town with a sister town of Douglas just across the river. A very artsy community with hometown diners and fancy eateries.
A Venetian Festival in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
, has been run by the Lake Geneva Jaycees since 1962.
In the US, one Venetian Festival is held annually on the third weekend of July on Silver Beach
Silver Beach Amusement Park
Silver Beach Amusement Park was located in St. Joseph, Michigan. The small amusement park operated between 1891 and 1971.-History:Silver Beach opened as a resort in 1891 when local businessmen in boat building Logan Drake and Louis D. Wallace built vacation cottages as Silver Beach Amusement and...
in St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph, Michigan
St. Joseph is a city in the US state of Michigan. It was incorporated as a village in 1834 and as a city in 1891. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 8,789. It lies on the shore of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the St. Joseph River, about east-northeast of Chicago. It is the county...
, a small town on the coast of Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan
Lake Michigan is one of the five Great Lakes of North America and the only one located entirely within the United States. It is the second largest of the Great Lakes by volume and the third largest by surface area, after Lake Superior and Lake Huron...
in southwest Michigan. It started in 1979, and has grown from a handful of people to nearly 200,000 visitors since its inception. Once a two-day event on Friday and Saturday, this festival now runs from Thursday through Sunday and features an expanding variety of sights, sounds, and tastes, including among them contests, food, music, fireworks
Fireworks
Fireworks are a class of explosive pyrotechnic devices used for aesthetic and entertainment purposes. The most common use of a firework is as part of a fireworks display. A fireworks event is a display of the effects produced by firework devices...
, a lighted boat parade, and a carnival.
Another Venetian Festival is held in Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix, Michigan
Charlevoix is a city in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 2,994. It is the county seat of Charlevoix County....
and started in 1930. There is also a Venetian Festival held in Saugatuck, Michigan just up the coast from St. Joe every year. It is a twin town with a sister town of Douglas just across the river. A very artsy community with hometown diners and fancy eateries.
A Venetian Festival in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
Lake Geneva is a city in Walworth County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 7,148 at the 2000 census. A resort city located on Geneva Lake, it is southwest of Milwaukee and popular with tourists from metropolitan Chicago and Milwaukee.-History:...
, has been run by the Lake Geneva Jaycees since 1962.