April in Parma

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Special events:

• Breast cancer awareness raising in Fidenza on April 15: a non competitive walk for ladies and children only.
• Vivicittà in the parco Boschi di Carrega (Sala Baganza) on April 15: a competitive run (12 km) and a non competitive walk (4 km).
• Parma Color Viola until April 22.
• Mercato dei Fiori (flower market)  via Farini on April 22.
• XIV Settimana della Cultura (Culture week): April 14-22. Special initiatives and guided visits of monuments and museums.
• 'Giardini aperti' offers the opportunity to visit private gardens, usually closed to the public. April 22.

Kids:

• April 22 at 10:30 am at the Spezieria di San Giovanni (old pharmacy): guided tour for families. Borgo Pipa.
• Casa dei Bimbi is back piazza Garibaldi on April 22 and May 27.
• Every Friday from 5:30 pm to 6:30 pm, readings for kids aged 3-10 at Libreria Giunti al Punto via Garibaldi 22/I. Free of charge, no booking necessary.
• Activities at Libri e Formiche, RosaLimone, Atelier del Borgo.
• After school activities for children aged 5-11 at parco Bizzozero run by volunteers of Legambiente (environmentalist non-profit organization). Monday-Friday 2 pm-7 pm.
• EuropaTeatri: the last show of the season.
  Biblioteca di Alice in Parco Ducale organizes workshops. Pick up the programme at the library or click here.
• Aria Aperta is an organization based in Reggio Emilia that offers donkey riding activities for children! The ride of April 25 takes place in Gattatico, only 20 kms far from Parma. The donkeys are particularly quiet and adapted to small children.

• New: Every Thursday until June 14 the Museum of Natural History (via Università 12) is offering laboratories of observation of insects with a microscope.
  Booking is ab-so-lu-tel-ly necessary with one week prior notice: tel 0521.033430 or stefano.bulla@unipr.it (leave a phone number to enable the museum to confirm availability).

Music:

• Festival Internazionale della Chitarra at Teatro Regio and Teatro del Cinghio. Classic guitar festival.
• Casa della Musica: "Cadeau", a series of 6 free concerts on the occasion of the 10th birthday of Casa della Musica, until May 12. Aperitivi until May 20 and Concerti until April 23 with a season dedicated to Claude Debussy.

• Nuove Atmosfere, a series of 13 concerts until May 2012.
• Teatro Regio's concert season: a few tickets are still available!
• Estri Armonici: last show of the season at Teatro al Parco.
• Tutti per uno XL at Auditorium Paganini
• Incontri musicali in Sala Baganza on April 15 and 22.

Art:  

• Fondazione Magnani-Rocca: an exhibition dedicated to Dante's Divine Comedy until July 1st. And of course, the worth-seeing permanent collections and the gorgeous park.
• Opening on April 14 at the Palazzo del Governatore, "Storia d'Italia in mille scatti", the history of Italy in 1000 pictures.
• In Reggio Emilia, an exhibition dedicated to Andy Warhol's Last Supper (inspired by the fresco of Leoanrdo da Vinci) until April 15.

• Mostra Pixar Mantova, a behind-the-scenes exhibition dedicated to studio Pixar, the creators of Toy Story, Monsters & Co, Nemo, etc. An opportunity to visit the beautiful city of Mantua, an hour or so far from Parma.
• In Ferrara, an exhibition dedicated to Joaquin Sorolla located in the palazzo dei Diamanti. Ferrara is also a very beautiful city!

Sagre - Local Festivals

• http://www.monterossofestival.it/index.shtml
  If it doesn't downpour April 22nd, it might be interesting to check out the Monterosso Val d'Arda Wine Festival. Located in and near Castell Arquato - a beautiful village a little more than halfway between Parma & Piacenza (site in English).