Discovering autumn traditions and flavours
Although changing temperatures and shorter days would like to make us give in to laziness, October is a month full of events, colours and flavours worth discovering.
Motorhome trips in autumn offer a unique and flexible way to explore and get to know many regional events: here is a guide to the most interesting food and wine fairs.
Caravan festivals in October
The festivals that take place in October have certain peculiarities that make them unique and especially awaited every year. These events are deeply rooted in local culture and celebrate seasonal products, culinary traditions, and the change of seasons.
Autumn is traditionally harvest time, and many festivals are dedicated to local products that reach maturity in this season: pumpkins, apples, pears, mushrooms and chestnuts.
Autumn festivals are very famous for their gastronomic offerings, which often include traditional dishes using seasonal ingredients, and it is not uncommon to find chefs doing local cooking demonstrations in front of the public.
The allure of the autumn foliage then adds a beautiful backdrop to these events: many events take place in open-air venues where one can admire the changing colours of nature that add an extraordinary visual element to the experience.
A truly unmissable opportunity for a trip among the Campervan festivals in Italy.
10 food and wine events in Italy not to be missed
Here is a selection of food and wine events for a motoring trip in October.
International White Truffle Fair of Alba
12 October to 8 December 2024 | Alba
One of the most famous truffle fairs in the world: truffle-based dishes, cooking shows, cooking courses, wine tastings, taste workshops, dinners proposed by great chefs, food markets of all kinds, and other events with the white truffle of Alba as the protagonist.
National White Truffle Exhibition
12-13 October / 19-20 October / 26-27 October / 3 November 2024 | Sant’Angelo in Vado (PU)
Italy’s second oldest truffle fair after Alba offers many events including food and wine, catering, great guests, the traditional motor rally, shows, music, and even truffles.
Bitto Exhibition
19-20 October 2024 | Morbegno (SO)
Now in its 117th edition, this exhibition is considered one of the most eagerly awaited autumn events in Valtellina. In addition to celebrating the best forms of Bitto cheese produced during the summer on the alpine pastures, the event is also a moment to recall ancient Valtellina processes, PDO products and the memory of traditional recipes.
Pomaria – The Apple Festival in Val di Non and Sole
13-13 October 2024 | Livo (TN)
For 20 years, Val di Non, the undisputed home of the Italian PDO apple, has been paying homage to the generosity of nature through a great festival celebrating the valley’s main fruit. An occasion for meeting, fun and entertainment to greet the end of the harvest, to get to know Val di Non, its art, its flavours and its history.
Open mills
19 October – 17 November 2024 | Umbria
The biggest oil festival in Italy takes place every year during the olive pressing period to celebrate the arrival of the new extra virgin olive oil. It proposes initiatives in oil mills linked to the world of quality oil through an itinerary that focuses on towns, villages and cities of art immersed in the Umbrian landscape.
Chestnut Festival in Soriano nel Cimino
28 September – 20 October 2024 | Soriano nel Cimino (VT)
A tradition dating back to the 15th century that goes beyond the gastronomic aspect: costumed representations, exhibitions and shows with flag-wavers, musicians, swordsmen, falconers, as well as an intense cultural programme with national conventions, conferences, exhibitions, guided tours and markets.
National Chestnut Fair
18-20 October 2024 | Cuneo
Considered one of the most important food and wine fairs in Italy, it promotes the chestnut tree for fruit and wood. Hundreds of exhibitors invade the historic centre of Cuneo with the scents, flavours and colours of roasted chestnuts and the best specialities of Piedmont and Italy. The fair also offers ample space for handicrafts of excellence, flanked by educational workshops, cultural initiatives, tourist proposals, exhibitions, shows and concerts.
Eel Festival
28-29 September / 5-6-12-13 October 2024 | Comacchio (FE)
A true widespread festival that extends throughout the historic centre of the town of Ferrara with concerts, shows, literary presentations, markets, guided tours of the town, children’s entertainment, and the inevitable tasting of delicious eel and sea and valley fish dishes.
Out of Pumpkin
19-20 October 2024 | Santa Maria Maggiore (VCO)
An event entirely dedicated to the gastronomy and flavours of the autumn season: here pumpkins, from the smallest to the giant ones, carved and transformed into funny characters, decorate shop windows and streets of the village. In addition to the side events offering a truly rich programme, there are many sweet and savoury tastings, all strictly pumpkin-based.
Festival of the IGP Chestnut and Porcini Mushroom of Roccamonfina
5 October – 3 November 2024 | Roccamonfina (CE)
An unmissable event for lovers of good food and local traditions, it takes place over a 40,000 square metre exhibition area to celebrate the flavours and aromas of autumn in Campania at its best. A vast gastronomic offer enriched by live music, shows and activities for children.
The advantages of travelling by Campervan in October
Travelling by Campervan to discover the festivals in October offers a number of advantages that make this experience unique and particularly suitable for those seeking a different kind of adventure.
One of the main benefits is flexibility: having a Campervan means being able to explore various events without the worry of having to book hotels. You can stay close to festival venues and, if your plans change, you can easily move on to a new destination. This allows you to follow the rhythm of your discoveries and inspirations with great freedom.
Comfort is another strong point: your vehicle becomes a real home on wheels, where nothing is missing, from the kitchen to the bed. This means being able to enjoy maximum personal comfort wherever you are, without depending on the availability of accommodation in festival areas, which can often be overcrowded and expensive during special events.
From an economic point of view, motorhoming has a lot to offer: saving on hotel and restaurant costs is considerable, since you can buy local products and prepare your own meals inside the motorhome and sleep comfortably without incurring extra accommodation costs. This makes travelling by Campervan a particularly good choice for those who want to keep their budget under control.
Finally, travelling by Campervan in October for festivals can lead to authentic experiences because by choosing to stay in less touristy areas, you will have the opportunity to truly immerse yourself in the local culture: this means meeting the locals and participating in daily life in ways that would otherwise be inaccessible to the conventional tourist. These interactions enrich the trip with authenticity and open you up to a more personal and engaging way of travelling, allowing you to discover traditions in a more intimate and meaningful way.
October offers a calendar full of diverse events, making it the ideal month to set out to discover local traditions in a Campervan. Whether you are looking for autumnal flavours, music, art or simply the experience of travelling freely, motorhoming in October is a wonderful way to make the most of this lively time of year.
