Venice late February-March closures

March 8, 2011 is Mardi Gras. The 2 weeks prior to that are the ultimate high season in Venice. A great time to be there if you are prepared for the experience (lots of crowds and expensive).
Everything is open!

I was there this past February. I found that outside of Venice, many smaller hotels close for the month of February. And most of the gelaterias in Rome were closed. In the colder north, they were all open. Go figure. Other than Venice, I was in Verona, Ravenna, Florence and Rome and had a wonderful time (and really good hotel rates), did not notice any other closures.

Venice doesn't really have a "low" season, it's pretty crowded most of the time. Even if some restaurants, caffe's, etc are closed you will not have trouble finding plenty places that are open. February of course is Carnivale so everything is open (and extremely crowded). March/April is a pleasant time to go, if still a little chilly.

We were in Venice for the first week in March this year and did not notice any closures. In fact it was quite busy.

Edit - it was bitterly cold but dry. Because we wrapped up well (incl hat, scarf, gloves and knee length boots) it was not a problem. There was a snowstorm the day after we left!

I visited Venice the second week of March a couple of years ago. The weather was very cold, scarves and heavy jacket were necessary. But on the upside, absolutely no crowds, everything was open, and best of all hotel rates were dirt cheap because it was the low season. I was able to stay at a four star hotel right near St Marks at a very discounted rate. I wouldn't hesitate to do it again.

One thing to consider when going to Venice in the off-season is that there are more "Acqua Alta" high tides during this time. Be prepared for this in making your plans and arranging timetables for transportation.