A treasure hunt to uncover a secret cheese, a roaming cellar-to-cellar dinner, and a pumpkin sale at the “worst bidder”: this weekend autumn promises an incredible variety of events and fairs to explore. Among villages, squares and oil mills, strudels are baked, new olive oil is tasted, and the ancient guardians of the vines are encountered, while tightrope walkers walk suspended above the historic center.
We at SiViaggia have selected 10 must-see festivals and fairs for the weekend 16–18 October 2026, spanning from north to south across the boot of Italy.
26th Thanksgiving Festival in Bolzano
Saturday, 17 October Piazza Walther transforms into a grand showcase of South Tyrolean rural tradition: from 8:30 AM to 5 PM returns the Thanksgiving Festival, now in its 26th edition. Among the 33 exhibitors, 16 are Gallo Rosso producers, offering farmstead specialties such as cheeses, speck, honey, chestnuts, cider, bread and jams. There are also engaging showcookings dedicated to countryside recipes, an exhibition of vintage tractors, live music and traditional dances. For children there is the mini-zoo with the farm animals and l’Heuhupfen, to play among the straw.
The event is an important opportunity to reflect on the value of sustainability: zero-kilometer production, the enhancement of on-farm ingredients, respect for seasonality and the protection of the landscape are the pillars of the daily work of farming families in the Val di Non. It is no coincidence that the event has earned the GreenEvent certification.
Pomaria, the 20th Apple Festival in Val di Non (TN)
Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October the highly anticipated Pomaria, the Val di Non apple festival born in 2005 and now celebrating its 20th edition, returns to Casez, a hamlet of Sanzeno.
For this edition, organized by the Apple and Flavors Route of the Non and Sole Valleys, the medieval village comes alive with the association’s producers’ market, tastings, exhibitions and workshops dedicated to Trentino flavors: among the program, you will also find cooking lessons to prepare delicious strudel, canederli and ricotta gnocchi.
There will also be show cooking, family activities and guided tours to the Santuario di San Romedio, carved into the rock and famous for the legend of the saint who tamed the bear.
13th Truffle Fair in Bedonia (PR)
In the Val Ceno the moment has come for the black truffle: Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 October, Bedonia (in the Parma province) hosts the 13th Truffle Fair, dedicated to the territory’s black variety. The program features a product less famous than porcini but ready to win over enthusiasts with market stalls, tastings and show cooking. A chance to discover the flavors of the Parmense Apennines while fully experiencing the evocative autumn atmosphere.
Lugana Festival debuts in Sirmione (BS)
From 16 to 19 October 2026, one of the most spectacular spots on Lake Garda hosts the Lugana Festival: Sirmione, in the province of Brescia, comes alive with a new distributed festival dedicated to Benaco white wine. The first edition involves the historic center and the hamlets of Colombare and Lugana, with the centerpiece during the weekend: on Saturday 17 and Sunday 18 the Lugana Hub opens to the public, set up in the historic Palazzo Callas in Piazza Giosuè Carducci. Here you can discover the labels of the participating wineries and take part in six guided masterclasses, by reservation.
To reach the local wineries, the Lugana Express shuttle will also be available from the center. On Monday the 19th the festival closes with the final phase of a culinary contest dedicated to dishes that showcase Lugana.
140 Years of the Grape Festival in Merano (BZ)
Merano celebrates the 140th anniversary of the Grape Festival, and for the anniversary the program has been expanded with an extra day. The event runs from 16 to 18 October: Friday begins with roaming music and a free opening concert at Kursaal, while Saturday the center comes alive with bands, traditional Alpine repertoires and contemporary offerings, together with food stalls along the Lungo Passirio. Sunday arrives the most awaited moment: the parade with bands from Alto Adige and guests, groups in traditional costume and horse-drawn floats.
Among the festival’s most curious characters are the Saltari, or Saltner in German, the ancient guardians of the vines. Until the 1960s they were hired to watch over the vineyards day and night, from late July or early August until the harvest ended. They are instantly recognizable by their leather outfits, hats adorned with feathers and fox tails, and the halberd they carry—a dress that also served to make them easily visible among the vines.
21st Edition of Fuori di Zucca in Santa Maria Maggiore (VCO)
On October 17 and 18, Santa Maria Maggiore, in the Val Vigezzo (in the province of Verbano-Cusio-Ossola), fills with pumpkins for the 21st edition of Fuori di Zucca. Along the village’s streets and squares, the Orange Flag of the Italian Touring Club sprout hundreds of colorful specimens, while in Risorgimento Square the Mercatino della Terra remains open all day Saturday and Sunday, with zero-kilometer products from local gardens and woods. The program also includes pumpkin-based menus in restaurants, tastings, hot chestnuts, evocative concerts, exhibitions, creative workshops and street games.
The finale is quite curious: there will be a curious sale of pumpkins and autumn fruits at the “worst bidder”! The festival is also an opportunity to admire the foliage colors that tint the entire valley, historically crossed by the famous Treno del Foglie—the Foliage Train.
Caneve en Festa in Cembra (TN)
The most evocative cellar-to-cellar dinner is organized for Saturday, 17 October in the historic center of Cembra, in Trentino: Caneve en festa returns, now in its 13th edition. An itinerant dinner “from cellar to cellar,” a journey through sparkling wines, wines, grappas and local gastronomic specialties of the Cembra and Fiemme Valleys.
It begins with Trento DOC and crostini with tartare of carne salada, continuing with Müller Thurgau, polenta and tosella, up to Strauben with jam prepared by the village grandmothers; in the middle, a rustic Emilia with Lambrusco, tigelle and crescentine.
Between stops you are accompanied by live music, sculptures to admire and the Caneva Escape, a puzzle challenge for groups of three to five people, to be booked separately. Departures are staggered from 4:00 PM to 8:30 PM: reservations are mandatory, with the option to choose a non-alcoholic ticket and request vegetarian or gluten-free variants.
The 119th Bitto Show in Morbegno (SO)
A treasure hunt inside a palace, a Yellow Tasting and four cellars to explore: on 17 and 18 October Morbegno, in the province of Sondrio, celebrates the 119th Bitto Show. In Palazzo Malacrida you search for the secret cheese in the “Cheescape Room” and test your senses with “Mystery Cheese,” while the “Bitto Tour in Cellar” guides you among different affinities and wine glasses. El BITstrot also debuts, featuring Teglio’s pizzoccheri prepared according to the Pizzocchero Academy recipe. The quirkiest pairings? Those with mead and gin and tonic.
But that’s not all, because in Piazza Sant’Antonio you discover how cheese is made, while looking up you’ll spot skilled tightrope walkers narrating the city, suspended between the buildings.
29th Edition of Frantoi Aperti in Umbria
The first autumn bite in Umbria comes with a slice of bread and freshly pressed olive oil. From 17 October to 15 November Frantoi Aperti returns, now in its 29th edition, opening the doors of working olive mills and inviting visitors to explore villages and hills.
The program begins Saturday with a concert in Montefalco, while Sunday 18 you enter the olive countryside: by bike with the Grande Pedalata from Spoleto, or by run with the new Trail Run, 16 kilometers along trails, terraces and tastings. Debuts the Moto Giro dei Frantoi, from Foligno to Trevi and Campello sul Clitunno, with stops to discover how extra virgin olive oil is produced and taste it directly from the producers.
24th Edition of Leguminaria in Appignano (MC)
In Appignano, in the Macerata area, even the dish becomes a travel memory. From 16 to 18 October, the 24th edition of Leguminaria serves Solfi beans, Quercia chickpeas and lentils according to local recipes, in traditional ceramic bowls that you can also take home. Inside the town walls the program alternates tastings, concerts and itinerant performances: a rich schedule that starts Saturday with a masterclass on wine pairings, by reservation, and with Borgoceramica, the market-and-exhibition in the historic potter’s street, open also on Sunday. Among the most curious events, Saturday evening, the opening of the great kiln for firing ceramic works; Sunday, at 8:30, you set off on bikes with the 6th Legu-bike and, at 9:00, the 6th Gathering of Classic Cars and Motorbikes begins.
