The week before the "Ascension Sunday" numerous musical and theatrical performances, exhibitions related to local crafts and food and wine festivals are held in Floridia to introduce any visitors to the typical products of Syracuse.
On Ascension Sunday, in the morning, the city of Floridia wakes up to the sound of salvos and to the music of the city band that parades through the streets. Solemn Eucharistic Functions consecrated to the "Ascension of Christ" are celebrated in the Mother Church; at the same time an important city cycling race is held. In the afternoon the horse racing competition takes place through the streets of the city, where numerous jockeys from all over the Syracusan province compete against each other, but also from other areas of Sicily (in particular from Catania, Messina and Palermo). The horses, placed in special cages, leave all together (the so-called "Stowed“) And run through the city streets until they reach the finish line. The races of the palio are elimination, the first horse to reach the finish line qualifies for the following races, while the others are either rescued or eliminated from the race. The races are held throughout the week and reach their climax on the "Ascension Sunday", where in the final race the winner of the Palio is decreed, covered with glory by the Floridian citizenship. The finalists of the "Palio dell'Ascensione" parade together with sumptuous Sicilian carts followed by a procession of figures in Sicilian costume who, after having crossed all the main city streets, triumphantly enter Piazza del Popolo and are cheerfully acclaimed by the people present. In the evening, after the solemn Vespertina Mass in honor of the "Ascent to Heaven of Christ" there is the awarding of the winners of the horse race and cycling race.
The celebrations are closed by a spectacular artificial fire that worthily closes the celebrations linked to the "Ascension of Christ" and his "Palio".