The patron saint of Desio is Our Lady of the Rosary, celebrated on the Monday after the first Sunday of October, a day the people of Desio familiarly call «ul Madunìn» in their local dialect.
Desio is also known today for the Palio degli Zoccoli, an event whose first edition dates from 1989: it is held every year in June and pits against each other eleven town districts, drawing inspiration from the guilds thought to have existed in the borough in ancient times. The town also holds important religious sites, such as the basilica of San Siro e Materno and the sanctuary of the Holy Crucifix, along with historic landmarks such as the Torre del Palagi and Villa Tittoni-Traversi.
