Skip a Domestic Fall Trip and Head to Italy This Autumn

The grape harvest, glorious fall weather, Venice’s famed Regatta, saints’ feast days, music and chocolate all give Italians an excuse to celebrate. Traveling in Italy during fall, families can enjoy all these experiences — without summer temperatures and tourist crowds.

While Italy may not have the autumn foliage that turns the northern United States to red and gold in fall, it has hillsides of vineyards turning brilliant colors, morning vistas in Lombardy, and the Veneto and Piemonte possibly backed by snow-covered mountains as the first layer of white descends on the Alps and Dolomites. Farther south, beaches that were elbow-to-elbow in the summer are serene, and the sun is still warm.

Italians take full advantage of the beautiful fall weather to celebrate the harvest of everything, from grapes to mushrooms, and saints Gennaro and Michael further obliged by having their feast days at just the right time for harvest festivals.

Food is not the only thing celebrated; Music, historic events and the arts provide further incentive to come to Italy in the fall. While major festivals attract both Italians and visitors, as you travel through Italy in autumn, you’re likely to find yourself in a small town having its onw festival, celebrating anything from local wild boar to the local grape harvest.

Visitors, especially families as festivals always include rides for children, are welcome, and in these local parties, you won’t feel like strangers for long.

Here are a few highlights:

San Gennaro Day, Naples: Beginning Sept. 19, the city observes an entire week of religious processions, markets and festivities.

San Michele Day, everywhere: Sept. 29 is celebrated throughout Italy, and the timing makes it a natural to combine with a harvest fair or festival.

Eurochocolate, Perugia: Everything chocolate is celebrated and sampled Nov 13–22.

Musica dei Popoli, Florence: Oct. 31 to Nov. 8, Florence is given over to the popular music of all parts of the world.

Regatta Storica, Venice: Perhaps the most colorful of all events in this city on water, the boat race on the first Sunday in September envelops the entire city in festivities.