The first weekend of autumn opens with a tide of events dedicated to regional traditional gastronomy and numerous anniversaries and historic celebrations of our heritage. For lovers of reenactments, of foods from bygone eras, and of folklore, it is a genuine treat because the events from north to south of Italy are truly plentiful. We have selected the 10 (+1) most entertaining ones not to be missed for any reason in the world, and here are our recommendations for the weekend.
Terra Madre Salone del Gusto 2026 in Turin
From September 24 to 27, the Terra Madre Salone del Gusto Market invites visitors to take a real Italian tour, right in the heart of Turin. On the occasion of the 16th edition of the event, organized by Slow Food, the Piedmont Region, and the City of Turin, the festival is being arranged for the first time by regional areas. Between Via Roma, Piazzetta Reale, and Piazza Vittorio Veneto, 600 producers from across Italy join chefs, cooperatives, institutions, street food kitchens, and regional breweries. It is a grand journey through the city center, where each regional zone becomes a stop to discover agro-food biodiversity, traditions, and the people who safeguard them. From the Valdostan genepy to Abruzzo’s black garlic, from Garfagnana’s spelt to Calabrian three-grain bread, the new layout allows visitors to traverse the peninsula in the heart of Turin: a voyage among curious products, agricultural varieties to rediscover, artisan crafts, and stories of communities.
Salò Golosa in Salò (BS)
On Sunday, September 27, 2026, the event “Salò Golosa” returns with two themed food routes: “water” and “earth”. A gastronomic journey through the region’s excellences, winding through the whole city from the Gulf of Salò. A unique experience where oil, meat, lake fish, cheeses, wine, and other delicacies take center stage. Restaurants and pastry shops will offer tastings of local products inside their storefronts. The occasion will liven up several city districts, allowing visitors to sample the area’s gastronomic treasures. The event will animate the streets of the city center from the so‑called “Rive” to Carmine.
Monferrato Wine Festival in Casale Monferrato (AL)
The second weekend, on September 25–27, features more than thirty wine producers meeting in Casale Monferrato for the 65th edition of the Monferrato Wine Festival. The program includes numerous cultural, commercial, and entertainment activities that enrich the historic town center, culminating in a weekend dedicated to “cucine in piazza” that draws hundreds of thousands of visitors, while in the stunning setting of Castello del Monferrato the Monferrato wines are celebrated. On Friday the 25th, opening to the public runs from 18:00 to 24:00, with dinner service. On Saturday the 26th the festival is open from 10:00 to 24:00, allowing attendees to stop for both lunch and dinner. Sunday opens from 10:00 to 23:00, again with lunch and dinner.
Sagra dell’Ocio in Montepulciano (SI)
From September 19 to 28, 2026, Montepulciano Stazione—quarter of Montepulciano—hosts the Sagra dell’Ocio, the duck at the center of various traditional recipes. The festival menu features several local specialties based on o cio and more. There is also the chance to try pizza baked in a wood-fired oven. The festival takes place during the 20th Biancorossa Festival. The food stands open every evening at 19:30. On Sunday the 27th and Monday the 28th, there will be the classic fair lunch by the Ponte. Every evening from 21:30 you can dance thanks to local orchestras.
Speck Festival at Plan de Corones (BZ)
During the weekend of September 26–27, 2026, the Speck Festival returns to Plan de Corones to honor the traditional craftsmanship of speck production in South Tyrol and to showcase one of the region’s most iconic culinary specialties, celebrating 30 years of the IGP guarantee. Here you can not only meet the best speck producers and sample their products but also learn about the history and production of speck. The event area is easily accessible by the lifts. The ascent to the summit of Plan, a sunlit plateau at an altitude of 2,275 meters, with Kronplatz 2000 (from Riscone) and Olang 1+2 (from Valdaora/Gassl) lifts, is possible from 09:00. In case of bad weather, as in past years, the festival will be moved to the center of Bruneck.
Palio dei Carretti in Valiano (SI)
Also in the nearby area, Valiano di Montepulciano is celebrating the 52nd Palio dei Carretti with a week of events culminating in the thrilling race between districts Castello, Chiesina, Dogana, Fonte, Padule, and Ponte in honor of SS. Crocifisso, scheduled for Sunday, September 27. The festivities opened last Saturday with a medieval banquet this year dedicated to the eighth centenary of Saint Francis of Assisi’s death. Since Thursday the 24th, the Sagra del Ciambello and the Locanda dell’Abate have been running, offering throughout the week traditional local dishes. On Friday the 25th, trials take place for the districts, whose wooden carts will test the race circuit. The trials continue on Saturday the 26th when, from 8:00 PM, at the Locanda, there is “Aperifritto,” a unique fried-food aperitif. The main day, Sunday, begins with the Holy Mass with participants from the Districts at 11:00 and the blessing of the carts, after which the heat batteries for the afternoon race will be drawn. At 15:00 the Districts will march in the historic procession with the Montepulciano Banner Bearers and Drum Units to the start of the challenge: at 17:00 the 52nd Palio dei Carretti takes place.
September in the Village at Taurasi (AV)
On September 26 and 27, Taurasi’s historic center becomes a route through wine, gastronomy, music, and memory. Central to the event “Settembre al Borgo – From door to door in the sign of wine among the doors of Taurasi”, the Taurasi DOCG—an identity of the village and a flagship of Irpinian winemaking. The two days invite the town to open its stone alleys and squares to a narrative where wine is the guiding thread. It is not merely a food-and-warmth festival; it is an itinerary through a cultural landscape where wine is part of history, economy, and the community’s identity. The heart of the celebration is The Wine Festival, dedicated to one of Italy’s great red wines and one of the most significant expressions of Aglianico. A wine whose name carries the village and which, over time, has become one of Irpinia’s most recognizable signatures.
The Battle of the 11th Century in Taranto
On Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, Taranto hosts “The Battle of the 11th Century” for the first time in the new Lama Natural Park, one of Italy’s best-known and most representative historical reenactment events which has run for 15 editions. It centers on the events in Puglia that involved Byzantines and Normans in the 11th century. In a unique natural setting—between Mediterranean scrub, woods, and the view of the Great Sea—a large medieval encampment will be rebuilt. Here, skilled reenactors will bring to life an immersive experience that transports visitors to the year 1000. Around the encampment, a series of activities are planned, from archery to combat simulations, games, storytelling, medieval dance lessons, and a concert of period music.
Festa dell’Uva in Arcevia (AN)
From September 24 to 27, in Arcevia’s historic center—ancient Rocca Contrada nicknamed the “Belvedere delle Marche”—the Grape Festival takes place, a hallmark event that celebrates the agricultural, cultural, and social soul of the town through the grape harvest. The program includes wine tastings to discover local productions and the Val Mivola vineyard varieties, the “Locande del Buon Ristoro” set up in the historic center to savor dishes of Arceviese and Marche tradition, the “Vergara in Gara” competition among noodle-makers to crown the best handmade tagliatelle, the “Dish of Tradition” contest among taverns, and live music and performances scattered among the medieval architecture of the village. Reaching its 70th edition, the Festa dell’Uva has roots in the 1920s and is among the Marche’s longest-running festivals; on this milestone, it received the “Quality Event” Award in a ceremony at the Senate, acknowledging nearly a century of passion and collaboration. This year the event embraces the “system of nine castles” that characterizes the Arcevia area.
Alpenfest in Livigno (SO)
On September 26 and 27, the municipalities of Livigno and Trepalle celebrate the return of the livestock from the alpine pastures with two days dedicated to alpine culture, community, and local flavors. It is a yearly rite that symbolically closes summer and welcomes autumn. After months spent at high altitude, cows, goats, and horses come back to town led by the herders, with decorated bells, floral garlands, traditional costumes, and folk music. The program begins Saturday, September 26 in Livigno, with the traditional cattle parade. The morning continues at Plaza Placherà, where from 12:00 to 15:00 lunch becomes a true journey through local flavors. In the afternoon the music continues. The Saturday finale is the Alpen Party, until 23:00. On Sunday, Alpenfest moves to Trepalle: the day starts at 10:30 with the parade from Presot to Passo Eira. From 12:30 to 14:00 at Passo Eira, Trepalle’s youth will prepare the lunch. From 14:30 to 16:00 the afternoon will be devoted to demonstrations of traditional farming tasks, including pezón, milking, and a wheelbarrow course, followed by the awarding of the Alpenfest Trepalle 2026 Trophy. The day continues with an afternoon of dancing and snacks from 16:30, ending the second celebration.
Transumando 2026 in Bressanvido (VI)
From September 24 to 27, 2026, Bressanvido hosts the fourth edition of “Transumando: come, scopri, gusta, vivi.” The novelties of this edition are mainly logistical: events will take place in the Via San Benedetto square, a space that will be animated with concerts and shows, free workshops, conferences, meetings, entertainment, and plenty of good food, available every evening thanks to a regional specialties stand. Additionally, for the first time, the arrival of Italy’s longest vertical transhumance, now in its 28th edition, a rite that UNESCO has recognized as Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity, and the cutting of the giant Asiago DOP cheese wheel will occur on the same day, no longer a week apart as in the past.
