The Cavalcata Sarda (Sardinian Cavalcade) is a spectacular procession held in Sassari every year on the penultimate Sunday of May. Hundreds of horsemen in traditional Sardinian dress ride through the city, followed by a procession of villagers in the traditional costumes of their towns — each costume distinct, reflecting the particular traditions of each municipality across the island.
The festival is the largest display of traditional Sardinian culture in the region and one of the most visually dramatic folk events in Italy. The costumes alone — some of extraordinary complexity, embroidered with silver thread and decorated with traditional jewellery — are worth the journey. The procession takes most of the morning; the afternoon's horse racing and acrobatics add to the spectacle.