Feasts of Flavor - Italy's Best Fall Food Festivals

Fall in Italy brings an abundance of flavors. Grapes are picked. Olives get pressed. And truffles are chased. In the crisp autumn months, towns across Italy host open-air fairs, called sagre . Celebratory sagre are loved by the locals, held in honor of regional food favorites. You'll find the mushroom sagra, the polenta sagra , the pumpkin sagra -- and many, many more

PORCINI MUSHROOMS (VITERBO) –SEPTEMBER

Porcini are the uncontested emperor of mushrooms. Whether dried or eaten fresh, the porcino is famed for its rich, earthy flavor. Foraged from the wild since Roman times, porcinis star in creamy risottos or crown egg-yellow tagliatelle. Visitors to Viterbo, a city in the same region as Rome, can indulge their porcini pinings on items like wild mushroom crostini or pasta with porcini ragù. For a savory jaunt through Italy, take a peek at our cheese-themed tour of three regions.

WHITE TRUFFLE FESTIVAL (ALBA) – OCTOBER & NOVEMBER

Famed worldwide for its aromatic flavor, the white truffle is one of Italy’s most prized foods. It is particularly treasured by the people of Piedmont in Italy’s north. For nearly 2 months each fall, residents of Alba host the white truffle fair. Food-minded travelers can purchase whole truffles, sip local wine, and dine on truffle-flecked delicacies. It’s even possible to hunt for truffles, sniffing out the prized truffles with the help of specially-trained dogs and nature guides. For a better taste of Piedmont, you can download our sample food-and-wine itinerary.

EUROCHOCOLATE (PERUGIA) – OCTOBER

Perugia is Italy’s chocolate capital. It produces baci , chocolate “kisses” filled with hazelnuts. Perugia is home to the chocolate company Perugina. For 9 days each October, it also hosts the annual EuroChocolate Festival. Cocoa-themed displays and stalls populate Perugia’s winding streets. Here, you can nibble on a chocolate panino, sip chocolate liqueur or marvel at sculpture carved from solid blocks of chocolate. For more on Umbria, peruse this recentfood-and-fashion itinerary.

PUMPKIN RAVIOLI (MANTUA) – OCTOBER

Mantua, a historic city in Italy’s Lombardy region, was named the European Capital of Gastronomy in 2017. Rightly so, as the city boasts hearty dishes such as risotto and braised meat. When it comes to pasta, the tortello di zucca rules in Mantua. Fresh ravioli are filled by hand with pureed pumpkin, parmigiano cheese and crumbled amaretti cookies. For more savory pumpkin experiences, check out our delicious tour of Emilia-Romagna. Click here for our Italian recipe for pumpkin pasta.

When you see Italy with us, you'll be back for a second helping. We're help you make Italian memories-- from scratch.  Click below to download our guide to FALL IN ITALY: