10 MOST BEAUTIFUL AUTUMN FOOD FESTIVALS NOW

Fall harvest time is a beautiful time for food festivals! And we’ve got a beautiful crop, from both the US and Italy, to share with you. Apples, pumpkins, corn, grapes and more fruits and veggies that have spent the better part of the summer growing and ripening are now ready to be enjoyed in the best possible ways.

Some festivals focus on a singular ingredient, while others are more generally autumn focused. Some festivals, like the Trailing of the Sheep, are not like typical food fests, in that the origins of the food are more the subject of celebration. Some, like the Cranberry Harvest Celebration, cover the food from seed to tummy! Still like the Glastonbury Applefest, include activities and crafts to round out your experience.

There are festivals, like Sagra Delle Castagne, that follow ancient traditions. There are festivals like, Fiera Mercato del Tartufo Bianco, that feature treasured ingredients. And there are more to delight you below. Get your tastebuds, your curiosity, and your travel planner ready!

1. TRAILING OF THE SHEEP -- IDAHO

It may sound “meh,” but watching a bunch of sheep migrate in Autumn, from their summer mountain home to their winter pasture, is a pretty spectacular experience. It’s the Trailing of the Sheep!

Each Autumn thousands of sheep stream across Idaho, from Sun Valley to Ketchum, to Hailey.

October 4-8, 2017

2. CRANBERRY HARVEST CELEBRATION -- WAREHAM, MASSACHUSETTS

The Cranberry Harvest Celebration, in Wareham, MA, features cranberry bog tours, cranberry cooking demonstrations, juried crafters and artisans, musical performances, and much more. Take a helicopter ride to see all the deep red glory from above.

October 7-8, 2017

3. GLASTONBURY APPLEFEST -- GLASTONBURY, CONNECTICUT

The Glastonbury Applefest takes place every year at Riverfront Park, in Glastonbury, CT. Get ready for a pie eating contest and a pie bake-off. One of Connecticut’s top festivals, the Applefest features live music, 150+ craft booths, amusement rides, pony rides, road races,  and more.

October 13-15, 2017

4. WELLFLEET OYSTERFEST -- WELLFLEET, MASSACHUSETTS

The Wellfleet Oysterfest takes places throughout downtown Wellfleet, MA. Enjoy the freshest, plumpest, loveliest east coast oysters any way you like them. Of course there is the annual Oyster Shuck-Off competition, where hopefuls compete for the $1,000 cash prize. There’s also cooking demos, art and crafts, music, and beautiful local cuisine.

October 14-15, 2017

5. CIDERDAYS HARVEST FESTIVAL - FRANKLIN COUNTY, MASSACHUSETTS

The CiderDays Harvest Festival rolls throughout Franklin County, MA, where apple lovers gather for orchard tours, cider-making, fresh and hard cider tastings, workshops, competitions, craft marketplace, and much more.

November 3-5, 2017

6. THE PUMPKIN SHOW -- CIRCLEVILLE, OHIO

Circleville, Ohio is all about The Pumpkin Show. Come to check out the parades and more than 10,000 pounds of pumpkins, squash, and gourds.

October 18-21, 2017

7. AUTUMN AT THE ARBORETUM -- DALLAS, TEXAS

This year, the Dallas Arboretum is rounding up 75,000 Pumpkins, Gourds and Squash to deck out their nationally acclaimed Pumpkin Village.

On through November 22, 2017.

8. SAGRA DELLE CASTAGNE -- MARRADI, ITALY

The Sagra Delle Castagne is a celebration of all things chestnut in Marradi, a small town in Tuscany. Enjoy all the flavors of the “marroni di Marradi,” such as tortelli di marroni (chestnut pasta), torta di marroni (chestnut cake), il castagnaccio (chestnut dessert), jams and marmalades with chestnuts, marrons glacés, i bruciati or caldarroste (roasted chestnuts).

Arrive, in old-fashioned style, on a steam engine.

October 8 - 29, 2017.

9. SAGRA DEL FUNGO E DELLA CASTAGNA -- VIVO D’ORCIA, ITALY

Sagra del Fungo e della Castagna, in the small village of Vivo d'Orcia, Italy, celebrates mushroom and chestnut harvest.

The town divides into two teams for the Palio del Boscaiolo contest. Using antique saws, competitors must cut logs into stools and tables from which they will dine.

Porcini mushrooms and chestnuts are the stars of the show.

October 8- 15, 2017

10. FIERA MERCATO DEL TARTUFO BIANCO -- PISA, ITALY

Fiera Mercato del Tartufo Bianco (aka International Market and Fair of the White Truffle) turns Pisa, Italy, into a truffle heaven. San Miniato is the most important town for truffles. Come taste and explore!

Read more about Beautiful Autumn in 10 Most Beautiful Fall Destinations, Our Hearts Beat Faster in Autumn. Our Minds & Bodies Change, Red Deer are More Beautiful Now!, Fall Leaves & Light Photos by Charlie Waite & Patrick Zephyr and Fascinating Wild Mushrooms to Find this Fall.

And check out more beautiful things happening now in BN Mind/Body, Soul/Impact, Nature/Science, Food/Drink, Arts/Design, and Place/Time, Daily Fix posts.

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IMAGE CREDITS:

1. Image: by Carol Waller. Courtesy of Trailing of the Sheep. Trailing of the Sheep Festival. Idaho.
2. Image: Courtesy of Sun Valley Online. “Idaho Commission on the Arts awards grant to Trailing of the Sheep Festival.” Idaho.
3. Image: by wplynn. “Harvesting Crew at Work.” Wareham, Massachusetts.
4. Image: by CJ Oliver. “Apple Cart.” Glastonbury, Connecticut.
5. Image: Courtesy of  Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism. “Oysters in Menemsha.” Wellfleet, Massachusetts.
6. Image: Courtesy of Massachusetts Office of Travel & Tourism. “CiderDays Salon Tastings, Shelburne Falls.” Franklin County, Massachusetts.
7. Image: Courtesy of Vasenka Photography. “Circleville Ohio Pumpkin Show.” Circleville, Ohio.
8. Image: Courtesy of The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden. “Autumn at the Arboretum.” Dallas, Texas.
9. Image: by Rifca Peters. “Chestnut.” Marradi, Italy.
10. Image: by Aurelio Barattini. "Ballocciori." Vivo d'Orcia, Italy.
11. Image: Courtesy of Borgo Santo Pietro.  “Truffle Hunting in Tuscany.” Pisa, Italy.
12. Image: Courtesy of Vasenka Photography. “Circleville Ohio Pumpkin Show.” Circleville, Ohio.
13. Image: by Mike Mozart. “Apples.” Roger’s Orchard. Marion, Connecticut.
14. Image: by BN App - Download now!
15. Image: Courtesy of Vasenka Photography. “Circleville Ohio Pumpkin Show.” Circleville, Ohio.