The patron of Navelli is Saint Sebastian, celebrated on 20 January.
The town is known for the Palio degli Asini, a parody of the Palio of Siena born in 1980 as a side event to the Sagra dei Ceci e dello Zafferano: after a parade of floats with costumed figures and flag-wavers, jockeys are assigned to each district's donkey at the last minute by lot.