Autumn is the best season to immerse yourself in the festive atmosphere of the most beautiful sagre of the Boot, among towns that come alive and flavors that tell local traditions. From steaming taragna polenta to the aromas of truffles, passing through chestnuts, wine and seafood specialties, the weekend offers many opportunities to embark on a journey to discover the most authentic Italy.
Here are the sagre and events not to be missed for the weekend of October 23, 24 and 25, 2026, from North to South.
12th Taragna Polenta Festival in Spirano (BG)
Autumn in Spirano, in the province of Bergamo, carries the scent of steaming taragna polenta. From October 23 to November 15, 2026, at Palaspirà the Taragna Polenta Festival returns, now in its 12th edition, with four weekends dedicated to traditional cuisine, local products, music and fun. This year the event extends with an extra weekend, offering new opportunities for a day trip celebrating Bergamasque flavors. The gatherings are scheduled from Friday to Sunday on October 23-25, October 30-November 1, November 6-8 and November 13-15.
24th edition of GiovinBacco in Ravenna
From October 23 to 25, Ravenna transforms into a grand feast of taste with GiovinBacco, the event that celebrates wine and the gastronomic excellence of Romagna. For the 24th edition, the stands move between Piazza del Popolo, Piazza XX Settembre and Piazza Kennedy, with cellars, tastings and offerings from restaurants and breweries. The novelty this year is a space dedicated to non-alcoholic fermented drinks, from kombucha to kefir water, and proxies and cider. Entrance is free and by purchasing tasting booklets online you save, also receiving an exclusive branded stemmed glass, until supplies last.
Festa della Patata del Lomaso and Chestnut Festival in Garda Trentino
On the 24th and 25th of October, Garda Trentino celebrates autumn flavors with two events dedicated to the region’s emblematic products. In Comano Terme the Festa della Patata del Lomaso returns, with a gala dinner, a taste trail through the villages, show cooking and meetings with local producers. The star is the mountain potato, a versatile ingredient that lends itself to recipes from aperitif to dessert.
On October 24, instead, Drena celebrates its most representative fruit with the 55th edition of Maroni in Festa: a day spent walking through chestnut groves, cooking workshops, music, and tastings. The Marone di Drena is a culinary excellence: with a firm flesh and a sweet taste, it is hand-picked according to a tradition that binds the community to the centuries-old chestnut trees that surround the village.
MetodoContemporaneo, winery events in 8 Italian regions
From October 23 to 25, 14 wineries across 8 Italian regions open their doors to the public for free with MethodeContemporaneo. Itineraries diffused among arts, wine and landscape, a journey that unites tastings, art collections and surprising places. From the visit to the Vigne Museum in Friuli Venezia Giulia to the contemporary works housed among the Tuscan vineyards, up to the path between art and biodiversity in Piedmont, each stop tells the bond between wine culture and the territory. Among the experiences planned are also visits to historic estates, wine museums and archaeological sites.
To book the experience you need to contact the individual venues. Here are all those involved:
- Ca’ del Bosco (Erbusco, province of Brescia);
- Castello di Perno (Monforte d’Alba, province of Cuneo);
- Feudi di San Gregorio (Sorbo Serpico, province of Avellino);
- Castello di Ama (Gaiole in Chianti, province of Siena);
- Agricola Bellaria (Roccabascerana, province of Avellino);
- Bosca/Palazzo Irreale (Canelli, province of Asti);
- Lungarotti (Torgiano, province of Perugia);
- Livio Felluga/Vigne Museum (Manzano, province of Udine);
- Bonotto delle Tezze/Officina Malanotte (Vazzola, province of Treviso);
- Planeta/Planeta Cultura (Sambuca di Sicilia, province of Agrigento);
- Fontanafredda/Fondazione Mirafiore (Serralunga d’Alba, province of Cuneo);
- Rocca di Frassinello (Gavorrano, province of Grosseto);
- Frescobaldi/Artisti per Frescobaldi (Montalcino, province of Siena);
- La Raia (Novi Ligure, province of Alessandria).
Chestnut Festival in Pedavena (BL)
For the entire October, Pedavena, in the province of Belluno, celebrates one of the season’s symbol fruits with the Chestnut Festival, scheduled until October 25, between the town square and the Pedavena Brewery Park. The stars are roasted chestnuts, together with food stalls and a market of local agri-food and artisan products, with stalls that wind along the brewery avenue to the center. Sunday brings different events, including sports, music and activities for children, such as the traditional “Games from the old days.”
The Octopus Fair in Noventa Padovana (PD)
Until October 27, Noventa Padovana, in the province of Padua, comes alive with the Fiera del Folpo, a historic event that celebrates one of the symbols of local gastronomy: the octopus. For six days the town becomes a journey through flavors, entertainment and traditions, with food stalls, seafood specialties, street food and offerings from Italian regional cuisine. Among the areas to explore are the Corte dei Bacari, where you can sample octopus in different interpretations and cicchetti, and the Squero dei Pescatori, devoted to seaside cuisine. The program also includes concerts, DJ sets, a themed parade and a funfair with a Ferris wheel and attractions for adults and children.
Wine and Truffle Fair in Ricaldone (AL)
Among the vineyards tinted by autumn colors, Ricaldone, in the Piedmontese Monferrato, celebrates from October 23 to 25 the Wine and Truffle Fair, on the occasion of the feast of Saints Simon and Jude Thaddeus. Three days of tastings, concerts and traditions, with the white truffle taking center stage. Among the experiences not to miss is the gara dei can da trifula, the truffle-hunting dogs that compete in the search for the precious fungus, and the tartufaia didattica where you discover the secrets of this ancient practice. For those wishing to admire the hills from above, evocative balloon rides are planned, with short ascents up to 15 meters. Those who enjoy walking can also explore the nearby Bosco delle Sorti, between ancient oaks and nature-filled paths.
70th Festa dell’Uva in Arcevia (AN)
In the heart of Arcevia, in the Marche, the grape harvest becomes a festival that threads together flavors, music and history. From September 24 to 27, the historic center of the ancient Rocca Contrada hosts the 70th edition of the Festa dell’Uva, one of the region’s longest-running events, born in the 1920s. The now essential event has also received the “Quality Event” Award in a ceremony at the Senate.
Program includes tastings of local wines, the Locande del Buon Ristoro with traditional dishes and Vergara in Gara, the sfogline competition to crown the best handmade tagliatelle. Live music and performances add to the medieval architecture. The occasion is also ideal for visiting the Collegiata di San Medardo, which houses valuable artworks, and strolling along the ancient walls that open views to the splendid valley.
The Cherries. The Taste That Tells Maenza (LT)
Sunday, October 25, at 6 p.m., the Castello Baronale di Maenza, in the province of Latina, hosts Le Ciliegie. Il gusto che racconta Maenza, an event that blends gastronomy, culture and local traditions as part of Aspettando Gastronomica 2026. At its center is the cherry, the emblematic product of the village, through which to rediscover stories, landscapes and the territory’s identity. The program also includes theatrical vignettes Appunti per un’Epica Nostra, curated by Matutateatro, and a tasting of local specialties: from Maenza bread to Neroni company products, to Progetto SETE’s natural wines and a cherry dessert created for the occasion by pastry chef Lorenza Rizzi. Participation is free, with mandatory reservations on the site “Festivalgastronomica.”
Saboris Antigus in Sardinia: 9 stops
From October 25 to December 20, 2026, in Sardinia returns Saboris Antigus with 9 appointments between Trexenta and Sarcidano, to discover flavors, traditions and know-how handed down from generation to generation. This year’s theme, Taste and Territories. Protagonists in First Person, places local communities and the people who safeguard the identity of these places at the center.
The journey begins in Gergei on October 25, continuing through villages and typical productions until the final stop in Mandas, on December 20. The 2026 edition also looks beyond the island’s borders, with a cultural twinning with Smirne, in Turkey, to tell Mediterranean affinities through food and wine, agriculture and traditions.
