Sagra: The best Italian food festivals to visit in October
If you're visiting Italy in autumn, don't miss the many local food and drinks fairs held around the country. Here are some to visit this October.
One of the best things about visiting Italy in the autumn is having the opportunity to attend a sagra, a type of harvest festival or fair centred around one particular food or drink item local to the town hosting it.
A sagra has a fairly broad definition: it could last for several weeks or one day, and might consist of anything from a raucous celebration with music and dancing to a lone food stall with a few wooden benches. It will usually be hosted in a field or a piazza, and entry is free.
READ ALSO: Seven reasons autumn is the best time to visit Italy
What all sagre have in common is the focus on eating and drinking fresh local produce, and the assurance that you won’t leave unsated.
Now, the good news is that October is by far the month with the most sagre, with a wealth of events taking place throughout the country that are worth seeking out if you’re in the area. So, here are some of the best sagre happening across Italy this month.
Campania
Sagra della Castagna (chestnut festival), 7th-16th October in Calvanico, Salerno.
Festa della Mela Annurca ('annurca' apple festival), 28th-29th October in Valle di Maddaloni, Caserta.
Sagra del Cinghiale (boar festival), every Friday of the month in Dugenta, Benevento.
Emilia Romagna
Sagra della Salamina da Sugo (salami festival), 5th-9th October in Poggio Renatico, Ferrara.
Sagra del Vino Romagnolo (Romagna's wine festival), 6th-9th October in Cotignola, Ravenna.
Sagra del Tartufo (truffle festival), 7th-9th October in Bondeno, Ferrara.
Sagra dell'Anguilla (eel festival), first three weekends of the month in Comacchio, Ferrara.
Lazio
Sagra dell'Uva Cesanese del Piglio ('Cesanese' grapes festival), 30th September-2nd October in Piglio, Frosinone.
Enorvinio (wine festival), 2nd October in Orvinio, Rieti.
Castelli di Cioccolato (chocolate castles festival), 7th-9th October, Marino, Rome.
Sagra delle Tacchie ai Funghi Porcini ('tacchie' pasta and porcini mushroom festival), first two weekends of the month in Bellegra, Rome.
Roasted chestnuts are a staple of Italy’s October ‘sagre’. Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Lombardy
Castagnata a Caglio (chestnut festival), 2nd-9th October in Caglio, Como.
Festival della Mostarda (mustard festival), 15th October-30th November in Cremona.
Fasulin de l'Oc con le Cudeghe (beans and pork rind festival), 29th-31st October in Pizzighettone, Cremona.
Sicily
Funghi Fest (Mushroom festival), 21st-23rd October in Castelbuono, Palermo.
Piedmont
Sagra del Ciapinabò (Jerusalem artichoke festival), 8th-9th October in Carignano, Turin.
Cioccolato nel Monferrato (chocolate festival), 16th October in Altavilla Monferrato, Alessandria.
A number of chocolate festivals take place up and down the boot in October. Photo by Miguel MEDINA / AFP
Tuscany
Sagra del Fungo Amiatino ('amiatino' mushroom festival), 7th-9th, 15th-16th October in Bagnolo, Grosseto.
Sagra delle Frugiate (roasted chestnuts festivals), 9th and 16th October in Pescia, Pistoia.
Boccaccesca (local food festival), 14th-16th October in Certaldo, Florence.
Sagra del Tordo (local food festival), 29th-30th October in Montalcino, Siena.
Puglia
Sagra del Calzone (calzone festival), 14th-16th October in Acquaviva delle Fonti, Bari.
Veneto
Festa del Baccalà (cod festival), 30th September-2nd October and 7th-9th October in Montegalda, Vicenza.
Festa delle Giuggiole (jujubes festival), 2nd and 9th October in Arquà Petrarca, Padua.
Mele a Mel (apple festival), 7th-9th October in Mel, Belluno.
Festa della Patata (potato festival), all Sundays of the month in Tonezza del Cimone, Vicenza.
Umbria
Sagra del Sedano Nero e della Salsiccia (black celery and sausage festival), 15th-16th October in Trevi, Perugia.
This list is not exhaustive. Did we miss out your favourite October sagra? Leave a comment below to let us know.
See Also
One of the best things about visiting Italy in the autumn is having the opportunity to attend a sagra, a type of harvest festival or fair centred around one particular food or drink item local to the town hosting it.
A sagra has a fairly broad definition: it could last for several weeks or one day, and might consist of anything from a raucous celebration with music and dancing to a lone food stall with a few wooden benches. It will usually be hosted in a field or a piazza, and entry is free.
READ ALSO: Seven reasons autumn is the best time to visit Italy
What all sagre have in common is the focus on eating and drinking fresh local produce, and the assurance that you won’t leave unsated.
Now, the good news is that October is by far the month with the most sagre, with a wealth of events taking place throughout the country that are worth seeking out if you’re in the area. So, here are some of the best sagre happening across Italy this month.
Campania
Sagra della Castagna (chestnut festival), 7th-16th October in Calvanico, Salerno.
Festa della Mela Annurca ('annurca' apple festival), 28th-29th October in Valle di Maddaloni, Caserta.
Sagra del Cinghiale (boar festival), every Friday of the month in Dugenta, Benevento.
Emilia Romagna
Sagra della Salamina da Sugo (salami festival), 5th-9th October in Poggio Renatico, Ferrara.
Sagra del Vino Romagnolo (Romagna's wine festival), 6th-9th October in Cotignola, Ravenna.
Sagra del Tartufo (truffle festival), 7th-9th October in Bondeno, Ferrara.
Sagra dell'Anguilla (eel festival), first three weekends of the month in Comacchio, Ferrara.
Lazio
Sagra dell'Uva Cesanese del Piglio ('Cesanese' grapes festival), 30th September-2nd October in Piglio, Frosinone.
Enorvinio (wine festival), 2nd October in Orvinio, Rieti.
Castelli di Cioccolato (chocolate castles festival), 7th-9th October, Marino, Rome.
Sagra delle Tacchie ai Funghi Porcini ('tacchie' pasta and porcini mushroom festival), first two weekends of the month in Bellegra, Rome.
Lombardy
Castagnata a Caglio (chestnut festival), 2nd-9th October in Caglio, Como.
Festival della Mostarda (mustard festival), 15th October-30th November in Cremona.
Fasulin de l'Oc con le Cudeghe (beans and pork rind festival), 29th-31st October in Pizzighettone, Cremona.
Sicily
Funghi Fest (Mushroom festival), 21st-23rd October in Castelbuono, Palermo.
Piedmont
Sagra del Ciapinabò (Jerusalem artichoke festival), 8th-9th October in Carignano, Turin.
Cioccolato nel Monferrato (chocolate festival), 16th October in Altavilla Monferrato, Alessandria.
Tuscany
Sagra del Fungo Amiatino ('amiatino' mushroom festival), 7th-9th, 15th-16th October in Bagnolo, Grosseto.
Sagra delle Frugiate (roasted chestnuts festivals), 9th and 16th October in Pescia, Pistoia.
Boccaccesca (local food festival), 14th-16th October in Certaldo, Florence.
Sagra del Tordo (local food festival), 29th-30th October in Montalcino, Siena.
Puglia
Sagra del Calzone (calzone festival), 14th-16th October in Acquaviva delle Fonti, Bari.
Veneto
Festa del Baccalà (cod festival), 30th September-2nd October and 7th-9th October in Montegalda, Vicenza.
Festa delle Giuggiole (jujubes festival), 2nd and 9th October in Arquà Petrarca, Padua.
Mele a Mel (apple festival), 7th-9th October in Mel, Belluno.
Festa della Patata (potato festival), all Sundays of the month in Tonezza del Cimone, Vicenza.
Umbria
Sagra del Sedano Nero e della Salsiccia (black celery and sausage festival), 15th-16th October in Trevi, Perugia.
This list is not exhaustive. Did we miss out your favourite October sagra? Leave a comment below to let us know.
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