Fall Festivals in Europe: 2025 Edition
Fall in Europe means cooler weather, smaller crowds, and festivals worth planning travel around. From grape harvests to truffle season, there’s something happening almost every weekend. Here’s a look at the best fall festivals in Europe for 2025, with exact dates, what to expect, and a few you probably haven’t heard of.
Wine and Harvest Festivals
These events fill streets with local food stalls, traditional music, and entire villages celebrating the season.
Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre – Paris, France
October 8 to 12, 2025
A harvest celebration around the tiny vineyard on Montmartre hill. Expect parades, wine tastings, local food booths, and street concerts.
Impruneta Grape Festival – Tuscany, Italy
September 28, 2025
Grape-themed floats, Tuscan wines, and regional dishes take over this small town near Florence. Combines well with Montmartre for a harvest trip.
Festival delle Sagre – Asti, Italy
September 14, 2025
Every village in the Piedmont region brings its best — wine, pasta, cheese, desserts — to the main square for an open-air food showcase.
Pezinok Grape Festival – Slovakia
September 20 to 21, 2025
Local wines, folk music, crafts, and harvest colors just outside Bratislava. Less crowded and more local than the international events.
Cider, Chestnut, Truffle and Pumpkin Festivals
When harvest season kicks in, Europe’s food traditions shift to what’s in season: apples, chestnuts, truffles, and pumpkins.
Beuvron‑en‑Auge Cider Festival – Normandy, France
October 12 to 13, 2025
One of France’s most beautiful villages celebrates cider with tastings, calvados, apple desserts, markets, and live music.
Alba White Truffle Festival – Piedmont, Italy
October 11 to December 14, 2025
The global white truffle capital hosts markets, auctions, tastings, and hands-on truffle-hunting weekends nearby.
Chestnut Sagra Series – Italy (various towns)
October 2025
- Marradi (Tuscany): every Sunday
- Monte Amiata, Caprese Michelangelo, Sante Marie, Soriano nel Cimino, Combai, and Lunano: scattered dates in October
Local towns celebrate chestnuts with roasts, pasta, jams, desserts, folk music, and more.
Piedmont Pumpkin Fair – Piozzo & Ornavasso, Italy
October 4 to 5, 2025
Over 600 pumpkin varieties, carving contests, pumpkin risotto, sweets, recipes, and family-friendly activities.
Dutch Autumn Farms – Netherlands
Late September through October
Not a formal festival, but pick-your-own apples, pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and cozy farm visits near Lisse and Utrecht.
Offbeat and Quirky Fall Festivals
These aren’t your typical harvest fairs, but they’re exactly the kind of events worth the detour.
Day of the Geese – Lekeitio, Spain
September 5, 2025
Participants on boats grab a goose by the head as it hangs over water. The geese are no longer alive, but the tradition goes back to at least the 1600s.
National Gurning Championship – Egremont, England
September 20, 2025
The best “gurner” wins by making the weirdest face while wearing a horse collar. Odd, memorable, and tied to a 13th century crab fair.
Wife Carrying Championship – Sonkajärvi, Finland
September 6, 2025
Partners race through obstacles with one spouse carried. The winner gets the partner’s weight in beer.
Onion Market – Bern, Switzerland
November 24, 2025
Single-day festival with onion braids, soup, confetti fights, and hot drinks. Starts early, ends midday.
Cow Parade – Switzerland
Weekends in September 2025
Decorated cows with flowers and bells walk down from alpine pastures. Try Charmey or St‑Cergue for festival events.
Why Fall Festivals Matter
Fall is Europe’s shoulder season. Flights and hotels are cheaper. Crowds are smaller. The weather is mild enough to enjoy outdoor markets and events. That gives you time to explore small towns, visit farms, stay in countryside villas, and taste seasonal food.
Know Before You Go
When to visit: Late September through early November, with most festivals happening in October
How to get there: Major cities are easy to reach by train or budget airline, but you’ll want a car for some rural events.
Where to stay: Choose hotels near festival grounds or in the city center for the easiest access.
What to pack: Layers, comfortable walking shoes, a small bag for carrying cash or snacks, and something waterproof.
Planning More Fall Travel in Europe?
You don’t have to stop at festivals. If you want more fall destinations, check out:
Fall in Champagne – Wine tastings, harvest season and quiet countryside towns
Fall in Zermatt – Cooler air, empty trails and Matterhorn views
Fall in Ljubljana – Cobblestone walks, riverside cafes and castle views
Fall in Burgundy – Vineyards and charming villages
Fall in Copenhagen – Cozy weather, cinnamon buns and rollercoasters
Fall in Bavaria – Castles, forests and great beer
Fall in Tuscany – Harvest festivals and truffle markets
Fall in Amsterdam – Canals, stroopwafel and fall bike rides