“A 'Nivarata" is the name of the International Festival of Sicilian granita which, since 2012, has taken place in the historic center of the splendid baroque city of Acireale, in the province of Catania.

The event was established to enhance the Sicilian artisan granita and contribute to its spread in the world. Its name comes from the "niviere", holes dug into natural caves and finished with bricks or stones, used in Sicily since the Middle Ages to keep the snow until the summertime (the "niviere" is the forerunner of the modern freezer).

The Festival, which attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year, includes a calendar full of events, attended by Masters of Granita and ice cream makers from all over the world, who participate in various prize competitions, voted by a technical jury and the public, such as: "Granita of the year", "Caviezel" (award dedicated to almond ice-cream), "Don Angelino" (prize dedicated to classical granita).

The program includes also many related events, such as: demonstrations about how to prepare the granita according to the ancient methods (by hand and using the first motorized machine refrigerated with ice and salt as when the fridges did not yet exist); exhibition about Granita’s history, photographic competitions, vintage exhibition, musical performances and various Live Food Shows such as "Discovering the history of coffee granita", and "Tastes and Flavors in the square" organized by the Italian Ice-cream Federation.