European autumn festivals worth visiting

Autumn is the ideal time to travel in Europe — fewer crowds, more pleasant temperatures, a better chance to experience local culture through festivals of food, wine, folklore, and tradition. If you're planning a destination in September or October, here are a few tried-and-true festivals worth marking on your calendar.

60th Vinkovci Autumn Festival — Vinkovci, Croatia

• When: September 12th – 21st, 2025.
• Where: Vinkovci, Slavonia
• Program: folklore evenings and festivals, parade in folk costumes, concerts, stands with local gastronomy, "Wine Shore" (wine offering from local producers).

Limassol Wine Festival — Limassol, Kipar

• When: around September 27 – October 5, 2025.
• Where: Limassol Public Gardens, Cyprus
• Program: local wine tastings, cultural program, traditional music and dance, tourist stands and events related to winemaking and gastronomy.

Marino Wine Festival (“Marino Grape Festival”) — Marino, Italy

• When: first Sunday in October (2025: October 5)
• Where: Marino, province of Rome, Italy
• Special features: grape festival that includes a parade in historical costumes, music, wine tastings and local food; famous for the symbolic fountain that sometimes "spits out wine" instead of water on the day of the festival.

Wine & Food 2025 — Helsinki, Finland

• When: October 23 – 26, 2025.
• Where: Helsinki Exhibition and Convention Centre (Messukeskus)
• What to expect: an event for lovers of wine, food and local products; presentations, tastings, workshops and stands with wines and gastronomic specialties.

German wine festivals — Bad Dürkheim and the Mosel region

• Example: The Dürkheim Sausage Market (the largest wine festival in the world) takes place on September 19, 2025 in Bad Dürkheim.
• What's included: wine, local food, music and a harvest celebration.
• Also: festivals in the Moselle and Palatinate regions, promoting wine and local gastronomy.

How to choose which festival to visit

To choose the festival that suits you best, consider the following:

• Is wine, gastronomy, folklore, music or a combination of all the most important to you?
• How far are you willing to travel and what is your budget for accommodation and transportation?
• Do you want a festival with a strong tourist infrastructure or do you prefer a more intimate, local event?
• Keep an eye on the weather forecast — rain can come as a surprise in the fall, so it's good to have alternative plans.