Rificolona-Paper Lantern Festival

Since the Renaissance, Florentines have walked through the city carrying candlelit paper lanterns on the eve of the nativity of the Virgin Mary. The procession, always on September 7, starts in Santa Croce at 8pm and ends in Piazza Santissima Annunziata, where a host of events await adults and children alike. Visit www.comune.firenze.it for more information. On September 8, the Canottieri of Florence carry the paper lanterns by boat along the Arno between the Ponte Vecchio and Ponte alle Grazie. Call 055/2381010 or visit www.canottierifirenze.it. From September 3 through 5, kids can make their own paper lanterns in workshops at the Scuola Diaz; call 055/2767828 for more information.