Festa Veneziana: Traditional Water Parade Opens Carnival
Source:Holiday Party /
Time:2026-08-30
The Carnival officially opened with the Festa Veneziana, a spectacular water parade along the Grand Canal on Sunday, February 1 . Around one hundred traditional boats, richly decorated and rowed by costumed rowers, paraded from Punta della Dogana to Rialto . The procession was led by the historic "Pantegana" (giant rat), a long-standing Carnival symbol that released confetti as it passed beneath the Rialto Bridge . The arrival at Erbaria was celebrated with music, dancing, and traditional food . One visitor from Poland noted: "It's beautiful, colourful people, everybody (is) happy around and it's all nice all over there here."
