Suggestions for What To Do in Bologna or Surrounds on May 1
 

We will be in Bologna on May 1 and try as I might I have not been able to get too much information regarding :

1) What will be open / closed on this day, i.e. will the markets be open?
2) Are there any special festivities / parades / activities on this day?
3) Suggestions for what to do for the day?

Many thanks in advance

We always seem to find some 1st of May demo in Italy or France to tag along with, lots of banners and chanting, reminiscent of our youth.

Bologna, long a communist-governed city, will be filled with celebrations and musical events staged by the mayor and the labor unions, with most of the activities centering on the piazza Maggiore. If you have a hotel right near there, expect a late night. Here's a link, and you can use Google translate if you don't speak Italian

http://www.bolognatoday.it/eventi/1-...e-bologna.html

Most restaurants will be open but I doubt the markets will be open and it may be that local public transportation (buses) run on an extremely limited schedule and taxis are rather scarce. Churches should be open, so if you are interested in art and history, visiting Santa Maria della Vita (closes at noon, statues in the far right chapel), the complex of Santa Stefano and the church of San Domenico (be sure to see the choir stalls behind the altar) is one possibility. You can either spend some time Googling the individual museums to what is open (I doubt may will be). I might simply e-mail or call the Bologna tourist office (they might not be open May 1).

It is possible that private walking tours, pasta making classes, etc are available. Some people like hiking up to the Santuario di San Luca.

If you want to go out of town, Budrio is having its 8th annual Ocarina festival. The instrument was invented in Budrio, and it is an international event that has always appeared to me to be a lot of fun. There are people from all over the world walking around this medieval town, playing ocarina, plus some pros who do concerts. And you can buy an ocarina! You can take the train there.

http://www.ocarinafestival.it/come-r...gerci/?lang=en

http://www.bolognawelcome.com/en/eve...ina%20Festival

Correction: Budrio's Ocarina festival is a bienniale, not an annual event.

Wow, a festival for the Ocarina! A big deal for an instrument with a small number of notes. And, I see, folk dancing too! Thank you for the information, sandralist, I am intrigued.

You can find videos of the event on Youtube. It looks sweet. Budrio is only a few minutes train ride outside of Bologna. (It may even be a part of metropolitan Bologna officially.)

The concert in piazza Maggiore in Bologna at night is usually fairly loud, so heading off to Budrio for some light ocarina tunes might be pleasant (check return train schedules). Or one could visit some sights in Bologna in the morning and have lunch, head to Budrio for the afternoon, and still be back in Bologna in plenty of time for the Primio Maggio festivities in the piazza Maggiore. They probably really won't hit their stride until about 9 or 10pm.

Thank you so much for all your replies and suggestions. SOunds like we will NOT be bored for what to do and have a great day.