Rounding out this summer of 2012's big annual events, the official schedules for two big events have now been published. Fiori di Fuoco, Flowers of Fire, is the official name of the annual World Championship of Fireworks that takes place each summer in different venues around Lago Maggiore. Now in it's 14th year, it promises to be just as spectacular as ever. Over 500,000 people watched at least one of the seven exhibitions last year; check your calendars ... will you be one of them this time?

Saturday, July 28; 9:45 PM

Cascata del Toce, Valle Formazza

Opening exhibition of light and sound by Parente Fireworks

Saturday, August 4; 11:00 PM

Arona, Lago Maggiore 

Saturday, August 11; 9:30 PM

Verbania, Lago Maggiore

Elite Fuegos Artificiales (Spain)

Tuesday, August 14; 9:30 PM

Santa Maria Maggiore, Valle Vigezzo

Feuerwerke Jost (Austria)

Wednesday, August 15; 10:30 PM

Laveno Mombello, Lago Maggiore

Forward Fireworks (China)

Sunday, August 19; 9:30 PM

Omegna, Lago d'Orta

FAS Fuochi Artificiali (Italy)

Sunday, August 26; 9:30 PM

Omegna, Lago d'Orta

Apogee Fireworks (Canada)

Following this exhibition there will be the award ceremony, and a surprise pyrotechnic show from Parente Fireworks.

Read more about Fiori di Fuoco on the Distretto site here

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Concerti in Cava, Concerts in the Cave, is a unique experience: A series of diverse musical events, experienced under the ground, in a chamber of the antique quarry at Ornavasso. This quarry, dating from the 1400s, produces the same pink granite as nearby Baveno, famous for being used to construct the Duomo in Milan.

Concerts will be performed every Thursday, rain or shine, from now until August 30. There will be two performances each Thursday evening at 6:30 and then again at 9:00, and all seats cost 12 euro. The temperature inside the cave is 8 degrees C, even if it is hot outside.

For more information, and the schedule of who is performing each week, visit: concertiincava.

And yes, you will be wearing a yellow hardhat inside the quarry.

photos courtesy of the distretto website