Festivals (Sagre)

• 16th/17th - Sant'Antonio Abate - Dorgali
  On the eve of the festival a bonfire dedicated to the saint is lit near the church. During the festival blessed bread, cakes and a typical dish: "fav'e lardu" made with boiled beans accompanied with a glass of local wine.
  
  
• Saturday and Sunday after the 16th - Sant'Antonio Abate - Bortigali

• Sunday and Shrove Tuesday - Carnival - Mamoiada>Gavoi>Fonni>Tonara
  - Mamoiada: according to popular tradition 'i Mamuthones' represent the Saracen prisoners who were captured in the battle.
  The fascinating procession, made up of people dressed in heavy animal skins, with their faces covered by wooden masks, tied on by handkerchiefs, slowly winds through the streets to the rhythmic beat of the heavy cowbells they carry on their shoulders.
  It is a solemn ceremony and 'I Mamuthones' form an orderly parade, which is both a procession and a dance. The 'Mamuthone' prisoners are tied to the 'Issokadores', the other protagonists of this event, by a leather strap and are led through the streets.
  The latter are more agile and jump and skip, then suddenly cast their ropes into the crowd and pull towards them the "prisoner" they have chosen among the spectators.
  The 'Issokadores' represent the victorious Sardinians, whilst the 'Mamuthones', symbolically bound and tied, are the Moors.
  
  - Gavoi: Sos Tumbarinos present a drumming show.
  
  
• Thursday. Sunday. Shrove Tuesday - Carnival - Ottana>Orotelli>Ovodda
  - At Ottana the carnival is characterised by the Sos Merdules and Sos Boes: antropomorphous and zoomorphous masks which together represent the civilised world.
  
  - At Orotelli the typical mask is Sos Thurpos (the blind), dressed in a heavy coat made of course wool with cow bells, the face is blackened with smut.
  
  - At the Ovodda Carnival the masked people paint tourists faces with ash. The Grand finale is when they burn a "Don Conte", much like Guy Fawkes, and throw it in a ditch.

• 19th - San Giuseppe - Nuoro

• Easter Monday - Sagra del torrone - Tonara
  The Nougat Festival. Visitors can sample the famous white nougat with almonds and honey, as well as the locally produced fruit and vegetables.
  
  
• 25th - San Marco - Bortigali
  Bread is blessed and taken in a procession by children.
  
  
• Maundy Thursday - Siniscola
  A religious-gastronomic festival. A table set for 12 people is prepared in church and visitors can sample the local bread, fish, fruit and wine.

• Penultimate Sunday - Cherry Festival - Belvì
  The Cherry Festival. Besides sampling the locally grown cherries, visitors can enjoy typical specialities of the area, prepared by local people, and accompanied by fine wine and delicious desserts.

• 15th - Assunta - Bortigali
  
  
• 1st Sunday of the month - Palio di Fonni - Fonni
  A folk and gastronomic festival which revolves around a horse race and the sampling of local gastronomic specialities.
  
  17th/18th - Sagra di Sant'Elena Imperatrice - Benetutti
  
  
• 3rd Sunday of the month - SS. Redentore - Nuoro
  Festival showing off around 3000 traditional costumes from all over Sardinia.
  
  
• from 20th to 23rd - Celebration in honour of Saint Lussorio, patron saint of Oliena - Oliena
  Friday 20th - Poetry improvisation with the most important Sardinian poets.
  Saturday 21st - Morning and afternoon games for all the family.
  Evening: In Santa Maria square, Folk concert.
  Sunday 22nd - Afternoon: 3rd Paliu de sos vihinados, Horse race for local jockeys.
  Evening: In Santa Maria square, 2nd concert of Sardinian folk songs accompanied by the guitar.
  Monday 23rd - Evening: at the sports ground, Concert by Edoardo Bennato.
  
  
• 27th - Sant'Angelo - Osidda
  

• 8th - Nostra Signora di Monserrato - Oliena
  A religious - gastronomic festival dedicated to the sampling of a variety of typical local dishes.
  
  
• 7th/17th - Santa Maria de Sauccu - Bortigali
  
  
• 16th - San Cipriano e Cornelio - Dorgali

October

• 7th - Madonna del Rosario - Nuoro
  
  
• 17th - Santa Rosalia - Benetutti
  
  
• Last Sunday of the month - Sagra delle castagne (Chestnut festival) - Aritzo
  
  
• 2nd Sunday of the month - Le Grazie - Siniscola

• 21st - N. S. delle Grazie - Nuoro

December

• 13th - Santa Lucia - Tortolì