Palermo Fest of Sta Rosalia?
 

Has anyone been at the festival of Santa Rosalia in Palermo? Is it too hot? too crowded? charming and wonderful or what?

I've never been to it, but I've seen many photos of it on various websites. If I were in Sicily at that time, I'd want to see it.

what time of year is this festival?

July

ohhh-do u know when specifically in july??

July 10-15.

In any case, is July too hot to go to Sicily?

I was in Sicily last July, we left Palermo the day before the festival started so I didn't go to it, but we saw the preparations for it going up. I wished we could have stayed. I do not think it's too hot in July - depends on your definition of too hot. In eleven days we had two that were unpleasanty hot and humit, the rest were just nice, pleasant but quite warm. But cool enough if you sat in the shade. Car and hotels were air conditioned. But after we left Sicily we went to Switzerland and it was at least as hot there on a couple days as it was in Sicily so I don't think you can ever say somewhere is going to have a certain kind of weather. Weather is a crap shoot, but I certainly do not think Sicily is unbearable in July.

A couple of ideas for Sicily in JULY:
10-15 Saint Rosalia Festival , PALERMO
Virgin Mary Festival in ENNA
GIARDINI NAXOS Carnevale
CALTAGIRONE candle lighting on famous ceramic steps some dates include fireworks and a processional.
End July - SAN MARCO D’ALUNZIO - SAN BASILIO FESTIVAL Tyherrenian coast on top of Nebrodi Mountains . Byzantine and Norman churches (one is the temple of Hercules)