Bronte Pistachio Fair, Bronte – first two weekends of October 

The Sicilian town of Bronte, at the foot of Mount Etna, is famed for its pistachios, and there’s nowhere they’ll be fresher than at the town’s annual sagra, held right after harvest.

The Bronte Pistachio Fair will run over the first two weekends of the month (October 4th-6th, 11th-13th), offering participants anything from pistachio pastries and ice cream to lasagne and ravioli.

Admission is free.

Tevere Day, Rome – October 7th to October 13th

Though the name says ‘day’, this is a week-long, city-wide annual festival dedicated to Rome’s River Tiber.

Tevere Day offers anything from rafting experiences along the fiume to talks and entertainment opportunities, including music performances and art exhibitions.

Further details about this year’s edition can be found on the event’s official website.

Boccaccesca food and wine festival, Certaldo – October 10th-13th

Every October, the town of Certaldo, south of Florence, holds a food and wine festival in honour of famous Italian writer Giovanni Boccaccio, who was born in the city in 1313 and died there in 1375. 

The Boccaccesca festival is one of the best opportunities for wine lovers from all over Italy to sample world-famous Tuscan vini, including Chianti Classico and Brunello di Montalcino. 

But the Boccaccesca is also a golden chance to taste traditional local fare, including wild boar and red onion soup. 

Barcolana Regatta, Trieste – October 13th

The Barcolana is a historic sailing regatta taking place every year in the Gulf of Trieste on the second Sunday of October. 

It is a Guinness World Record holder as in February 2019 it was named “the largest sailing race” in the world, with 2,689 boats and over 16,000 contestants.

The competition, which unfolds over a 15-mile course, attracts more than 250,000 spectators every year, with most watching the race from the Trieste seafront, known as the Rive.

Find more details here.

Alba White Truffle Fair, Alba – October 12th-December 8th

One of the world’s best-known truffle festivals, the Alba White Truffle Fair is held every year in the lush northwestern Italian region of Piedmont.

At the festival’s heart is the White Truffle World Market, where buyers have the opportunity to sample and buy the iconic truffle directly from traders based in the surrounding Langhe, Monferrato and Roero areas.

READ ALSO: Two new ‘tourist trains’ to link Rome with Assisi and Alba from October

But the event offers much more than this; there are also cooking shows, costumed parades and reenactments, and culinary classes among other activities.

Rome Film Festival, Rome – October 16th-27th

The 19th edition of the Rome Film Festival will be held at the Auditorium Parco della Musica from October 16th to October 27th.

This year’s programme hasn’t been released yet, but should include Johnny Depp’s latest directorial endeavour: Modi, Three Days on the Wing of Madness, which chronicles the life of Italian artist Amedeo Modigliani in 1916 Paris.

Depp is also expected to receive a lifetime achievement award at the festival.

Alice nella Citta’ (Alice in the City), an independent film festival dedicated to the younger generations, will run parallel to the main festival.

Venice Marathon, Venice – October 27th

The 2024 edition of the Venice Marathon will take place on Sunday, October 27th.

First held in 1986, the maratona starts in Riviera del Brenta and passes through Mestre and the Ponte della Libertà bridge before ending at Riva dei Sette Martiri in Venice.

You can find further info on fees and registration procedures here. 

Lucca Comics and Games festival, Lucca – October 30th-November 11th

Every year, thousands of fans of comics, video games and animated films from all over the world descend on the scenic Tuscan city of Lucca to prowl the mediaeval streets dressed as their favourite characters.

The annual five-day Lucca Comics & Games festival is one of Europe’s major events dedicated to comic books, board and role-playing games and fantasy imagery. 

The exhibition area generally spans around 15,000 square metres and runs through the entire historic centre of Lucca. 

This year’s programme hasn’t been unveiled yet, but it is expected to feature the usual mix of meetings with Italian and international comics authors, book presentations, role playing tournaments, cosplayer performances and concerts.

Halloween, nationwide – October 31st

Halloween is not as widely celebrated in Italy as it is elsewhere – Italians traditionally celebrate All Saints (Ognissanti) on November 1st instead.

However, a couple of towns around the country go all out to celebrate the spooky festival.

Every year, Triora, Liguria, which is often referred to as il Paese Delle Streghe (‘Village of the Witches’) due to the large number of ‘witches’ that were apparently burned there in mediaeval times, puts on children’s workshops, magic shows, costume and pumpkin competitions, and a bonfire and fireworks display on the 31st.

Corinaldo, in the Marche region, holds an annual Festa delle Streghe (or Witches’ Festival), from October 27th to October 31st.

This year’s programme has not been published yet, but previous editions featured music and dancing performances, food stalls and workshops.

Munch: The Inner Cry, Milan – all of October 

To celebrate the 80th anniversary of his death, the city of Milan has decided to pay a tribute to one of the most famous artists of the 20th century – Edvard Munch.

Titled The Inner Cry, a broad exhibition chronicling the artistic journey of the Norwegian artist with over 100 drawings, paintings and prints will be on display at the Palazzo Reale, central Milan, throughout October.

All of the artworks featured in the Milan exhibition come from the Munch Museum in Oslo. 

The Inner Cry is scheduled to run until January 26th, 2025.

Do you have a October event that you’d like us to highlight? Let us know in the comments section below.