The patron saint of San Giovanni in Persiceto is Saint John the Baptist, celebrated on 24 June in the collegiate church dedicated to him.
Since 1874, every February, the town has hosted the historic Persiceto carnival, whose inspiring mask is Bertoldo, the peasant protagonist of Giulio Cesare Croce's collection of tales «Bertoldo, Bertoldino e Cacasenno»: the banner of Bertoldo and Bertoldino, the whitest standard, is the coveted prize reserved for the best carnival societies. The municipal territory also holds the church of the Blessed Virgin of the Belt, the church of San Biagio and that of San Giacomo.
