Best events in Florence, December 8–14

Best events in Florence, December 8–14

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Wed 07 Dec 2016 2:01 PM

CHARITY/AILO Christmas Bazaar
December 10, 3.30–7pm, and December 11, 10am–7pm
Convitto della Calza, piazza della Calza 6, Florence

ailo-christmas-bazaar

Enjoy some spirited market shopping for (several) good causes: this weekend nonprofit organization American International League of Florence ONLUS hosts its annual Christmas Bazaar, one of the city’s longest-running charity Christmas markets. If you’re looking to up the festive factor in your home, browse through heaps of holiday decorations, including some handmade treasures by AILO’s members; if you’re needing to knock out some of your gift shopping, the rest of the stalls will spill over with toys, antiques, books, clothes, jewelry and more. A raffle and Silent Auction will also be set up, with the chance to bid on dinners at some of Florence’s finest restaurants or getaways in top-notch Tuscan lodging. Kids won’t be left out of the fun: clowns and Santa Claus will make the rounds at the marketplace, and there will be Christmas goodies galore, from buttery baked desserts to homemade jams. All proceeds from the Bazaar will be donated to numerous charities and civic projects, to be selected by the organization’s Donation Research committee. For more information see AILO’s Facebook page.


STREET PARTY/Boboli Christmas

December 11, 9am–9pm
Via Romana, Florence

christmas-lights-via-romana

Last week via Maggio kicked off its annual Contemporaneamente festivities with a bedazzled Saturday block party; now it’s via Romana’s turn. Christmas cheer will be in the air during Boboli Christmas this Sunday as the street’s shops, restaurants and bars host numerous events. Indulge at boutique French food and wine shop Jullian, where a special French oyster and escargot tasting will run from 11am to 9pm. A few doors down, clothing shop Affix will host kid-friendly entertainment with gRey the mime, who will delight the little ones with bubbles and clowning around (5–7pm). In addition to a morning parade (11am–12.30pm) and a festive, light-filled afternoon procession (5.30–6.30pm), there will be a pop-up musical show put on by Cugini Boiler (3.30pm), holiday karaoke at the opening of new shop On the Road (n. 118r, 3.30pm–7.30pm) and a “Christmas Loungecore” DJ set at Bar d’Angolo in piazza della Calza (5–8pm). Naturally, Babbo Natale will be out and about throughout the day. For more program details, see the official Facebook event


TRADITION/Tree Lighting

December 8, 5pm
Piazza del Duomo, Florence

daniela-verma-christmas-tree

Ph. Daniela Verma

Let there be light! The Feast Day of the Immaculate Conception on December 8 marks the official beginning of the Christmas season in Florence, and the annual tree lighting in piazza del Duomo is an appropriately ceremonial kickoff for the community. Against the striking backdrop of Santa Maria del Fiore, Mayor Dario Nardella will switch on the big tree’s bulbs in one of the year’s merriest moments. Bundle up and arrive early! In addition to ushering in the festive season, this year the event will launch the F-LIGHT Festival (details below).

ILLUMINATED/F–LIGHT Festival
December 8–January 8, 2017
Various venues in Florence

flight-festivAL-florence

Let your imagination take “F-LIGHT” as this luminous local initiative returns. Nightly until January 8, some of Florence’s most famous monuments and squares will have a whole new look, pulled off through elaborate video mapping shows, projections, light tricks and optical illusions. One of the (high)lights will be the installation on the Ponte Vecchio, “Lightness,” dedicated to the role of light in some of the world’s most famous artworks, from Caravaggio to Van Gogh and Raphael to Andy Warhol (see it from 5.30pm–midnight, December 8–January 8). Other locations involved include piazzale Michelangelo, the Biblioteca Nazionale, piazza(s) Santa Croce and Santo Spirito and the Porcellino market. For the inaugural week of the festival (December 9–14), Palazzo Vecchio’s Sala d’Arme will host a related exhibition spotlighting ten light-focused photographers selected by the Fondazione Studio Marangoni (11am–7pm daily). For additional details, see MUS.E Firenze’s website.

CLASSIC/The Wizard of Oz
December 11, 4.30pm + 12, 9pm
Odeon Cinema, piazza Strozzi, Florence

wizard-of-oz

“There’s no place like home…” or, rather, there’s no place like a warm movie theatre in the middle of December when you need a break from holiday markets, shopping crowds and parties. Head “off to see the wizard” at the Odeon: the theatre hosts two screenings of the restored version of this Technicolor classic (1939), which stars Judy Garland and features some of the most memorable characters, costumes and tunes in cinematic history. Note that the December 11 showing is in Italian and the December 12 showing is in English with Italian subtitles. Tickets are 8 euro or 6 euro for children under 10. 

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