Ahh…the cool, crisp air, the smell of dried leaves, warm apple cider, hayrides, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, apple picking…I love fall! One of the things I look forward to the most in the fall is a visit to a pumpkin patch or an apple orchard with my family.
This year, though, is different. Besides the cool, crisp air and the smell of dried leaves, I likely won’t be experiencing any of the aforementioned treasures of fall. You see, those are all very much American traditions, which makes me a tiny bit sad that I, and more importantly, my children will be missing out on many of the fun delights of fall this year.
But no need to shed a tear for me, because I have delightfully discovered that there are a multitude of different autumn festivals in Italy. And yes, of course, they all center around food. This is Italy after all. Read on to discover five different types of Italian fall festivals.
1. Pumpkin
Of course, pumpkins top this list. There are numerous towns and villages scattered throughout Italy that celebrate this beloved gourd. Although these “festa della zucca” (festival of pumpkin), as they’re called, vary, they all of course feature food prepared with pumpkin. No, you won’t be able to find a pumpkin spiced latte, but at the Fiera Regionale della Zucca in Piozzo near our home, for example, culinary offerings include pumpkin risotto, pumpkin ravioli, pumpkin minestrone, pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin beer. Additionally 550 varieties of pumpkins will be on display.
Additionally, one of the largest and most famous pumpkin festivals is the Festa della Zucca in Venzone, in the Friuli Venezia Giulia region, where they go all out transforming their town into a medieval village. It takes place this year on October 22nd and 23rd.
Additional pumpkin festivals:
- Festa della Zucca in Ghizzole di Montegaldella (Veneto): October 13th-16th & 19th-22nd
- Festa delle Zucche in Cordenons (Friuli Venezia Giulia): October 26th-27th, 2019
- Festa della Zucca in Ostellato (Emilia-Romagna): last weekend in October
2. Chestnuts
“Chesnuts roasting on an open fire…” We all know the song, but how many people have actually tried a chestnut? I’m still not sure if I have! I’ve tried the delicious marron glaces (candied chesnuts) that are popular here in Italy around Christmas time, but just a regular roasted chestnut…not so typical of the Midwest where I was raised. According to one stat I read, Italy is the third largest producer of chestnuts. So it would come as no surprise then that there are chestnut (“castagne”) festivals all over Italy. The Mugello area of Tuscany is particularly well known for their chestnuts.
Notable chesnut festivals include the Festa delle Castagne a dei Ricordi, held the first weekend of October in Castell’arquato in the Emilia-Romagna region. On offer among other specialities, is castagnaccio, a gluten free cake made with chestnut flour, walnuts, pine nuts, raisins, and rosemary.
Additionally, Soriano nel Cimino, located in the region of Lazio, hosts a Sagra delle Castagne, which features a historical parade and reenactments, as well as a palio and ring jousting. Sounds like great family fun. It is held the last week of September and the first week of October.
List of additional chestnut festivals:
- Sagra delle Castagne in Marradi (Tuscany): October 6th-27th
- Sagra della Castagna in Manziana (Lazio): October 11th-13th
3. Truffles
Just down the road from my current home of Bra, is the town dubbed as “The White Truffle Capital of the World”, Alba. The white truffle is considered the be all, end all when it comes to truffles. And no, we are not talking about chocolate truffles, which are certainly quite delicious, but rather the enigmatic “King of Mushrooms”. Each year Alba hosts the International Truffle Fair. Every Saturday and Sunday throughout October and November, there are a variety of events.
- Sagra Tartufo in San Miniato (Tuscany): November 9th-24th
- Sant’Agata Feltria (Emilia-Romagna): October 6th-27th
4. Apples
When I think of apples in Italy, I think of the regions of Trentino and Aosta, both mountaineous regions in the north. If you’re so lucky as to be in the Trentino region in the fall, check out the Mele a Mel in Benlluno held October 11th-13th. Be sure to grab a slice of their traditional cake, Zumela, made with apple jam.
Additional apple festivals
- Festa della Mela in Tolmezzo (Friuli Venezia-Giulia): September 20-22
- Festa delle Mele, in Gressan (Aosta)): first weekend of October
5. Wine
I definitely couldn’t leave this one off of the list of Italian fall festivals. People flock to wine producing areas during October to witness the beautiful colors of the grape leaves and to be a part of the busy hustle bustle of the harvest season.
During this time there are many harvest festivals. In the neighboring Langhe, the village of Barolo (producer of the prestigious Barolo wine), hosts the Festa del Vino during the second weekend of September.
- Festa dell’Uva in Scansano: September 21st-22nd & 27th-29th
- Sagra dell’Uva in Marino: October 4th-7th
There you have it, five different types of fall festivals in Italy to seek out if you have the good fortune of finding yourself here during the fall.
Additional Resources
This list I compiled is by no means exhaustive. Below you’ll find some key terms to use when for searching for a fall festival in Italy.
- Various terms for festival include “festa”, “sagre”, and “fiera”
- Pumpkin=zucca/zucche
- Chestnuts=castagna/castagne
- Truffle=tartufo/tartufi
- Apple=mela/mele
- Wine=I think you know this one, but just in case, vino
- Fall=autunno
Also, be on the lookout for posters, such as the one pictured above. Most towns and villages have small billboard-like structures where they post advertisements for local festivals. Typically, at least here in the small towns of Piedmont, it is alongside the local obituaries!
