Chestnut festivals in Liguria: the October 2026 calendar

In October the Liguria worth visiting is the one behind the coast. In the inland valleys, where for centuries the chestnut was the bread of the people who lived there, almost every Sunday a village lights the fire under the pans and throws a party.

Below you will find the chestnut festivals, the castagnate, of October 2026, with the dates already announced by the organisers or by the Region's calendar. Village festivals change often, though: before you get in the car, always check the page of the local Pro Loco or of the town council.

Saturday 3 and Sunday 4 October

• Busalla (GE): the Festa d'Autunno e Sagra delle Trofie di castagne, the autumn festival of chestnut-flour trofie, served with pesto or with stracchino cheese. The Pro Loco food stand is open on Saturday for lunch and dinner and on Sunday for lunch, and the chestnut roast in the Giardini Mameli is on Saturday and Sunday from 3 pm, with roast chestnuts and mulled wine. The event page
• Sunday 4: chestnut festivals in Perinaldo (IM), Isolabona (IM) and Rossiglione (GE), where the chestnuts are cooked in giant pans; a chestnut festival in Bormida (SV); in Castiglione Chiavarese (GE) the Sagra della Panella, the chestnut cake.

Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 October

• Montegrosso Pian Latte (IM), in the Arroscia valley: the 55th Chestnut Festival, organised by the Pro Loco since 1970.
• Lavina, in the municipality of Rezzo (IM): "Le castagne come una volta" (chestnuts as they used to be), on Saturday 10.
• Mezzanego (GE): Castagnata e Fiera degli Angeli, Saturday 10 and Sunday 11.
• Sunday 11:
• Buggio di Pigna (IM), in the Nervia valley: the Festa della Caldarrosta, the roast chestnut festival;
• Andagna, a hamlet of Molini di Triora (IM): the Chestnut Festival, with a menu based on chestnut flour (the event page);
• Borgo Fornari, in Ronco Scrivia (GE): the chestnut festival;
• Crocefieschi (GE), in the upper Scrivia valley: the Sagra della Castagna, now running for 46 years. Besides the rustie, the roast chestnuts, there are small salami, frisceu fritters and mostardella sausage;
• Davagna (GE): the chestnut festival at the Campi di Davagna, with chestnuts, polenta and live music;
• Calice al Cornoviglio (SP): the 61st Festa del Castagno, the first of its two Sundays, from noon.

Sunday 18 October

The busiest Sunday of the month.

• Pantasina, a hamlet of Vasia (IM), in the Prino valley: the Chestnut Festival, running for more than fifty years, with mountain bike rides and bocce tournaments.
• Calizzano (SV): the 34th Festa d'Autunno, an autumn festival dedicated to chestnuts.
• Calice al Cornoviglio (SP): second Sunday of the Festa del Castagno.
• Torriglia (GE): the Castagnata degli Alpini, the Alpine troops' chestnut festival.
• Uscio (GE), the village of clocks: the Sagra del Castagnello, named after the castagnelli, small sweets invented by the village pastry cooks.
• Garlenda (SV): Castagne & Sport.
• Borzonasca (GE): the Agricasta.

In Dego (SV) the chestnut festival with the subricco fair is announced for mid-October, without a precise day.

Dates still to be confirmed

These festivals take place every year, but for 2026 we have not found a date announced by the organisers. Before you go, check with the town council or the Pro Loco.

• Vobbia (GE): Castagnata e Sagra della Mostardella at the sports ground. In 2025 it was held on Sunday 19 October.
• Rossiglione (GE): the chestnut festival at the Big Bench, the giant bench on the panoramic Ciazze road. In 2025 it was on Sunday 19 October at 2.30 pm, postponed in case of bad weather.
• Cogorno (GE): the Castagnata dell'ardesia, usually on the last Sundays of October, on Monte San Giacomo and in the town hall square.
• Ceriana (IM): the Festa de Rustie, listed for Sunday 25 October.
• Castelnuovo Magra (SP): the Festa del Castagno, listed for Sunday 4 October.
• In the province of Savona, chestnut festivals are also listed in Stellanello, in Leca and Bastia (hamlets of Albenga) and in Vado Ligure, between 18 and 25 October.

What to eat

The chestnut was the staple food of people living inland, from the Fontanabuona valley to the valleys between Calizzano and Bardineto. Its flour was used for pasta, for sweets and even for focaccia, and that is where the dishes you find at the festivals come from:

• the rustie, roast chestnuts;
• castagnaccio and panella, chestnut cakes;
• chestnut-flour focaccia and chestnut farinata;
• trofie and picagge matte, pasta made with chestnut flour;
• the castagnone.

Tips for going

• You need a car. Almost all of these festivals are in inland villages and hamlets, often half an hour or more from the coast along mountain roads. Allow time and arrive early: parking in the hamlets is scarce.
• Check the weather. These are outdoor festivals, and rain sometimes gets them postponed.
• Combine the festival with a walk. Many of these villages lie inside nature parks, such as the Antola or the Ligurian Alps. If you are in the province of Imperia, the Argentina valley and Triora are a few kilometres from Andagna.

Frequently asked questions

When are the chestnut festivals in Liguria?

Mostly in October, almost every weekend. In 2026 the busiest Sundays are 11 and 18 October.

Which are the oldest chestnut festivals?

Among those in this calendar, the Festa del Castagno in Calice al Cornoviglio is at its 61st edition, the Chestnut Festival of Montegrosso Pian Latte has been held since 1970 and the one in Pantasina for more than fifty years.

Are the dates certain?

They are the ones announced in 2026 by Pro Loco associations, town councils and the Region's calendar. Village festivals can still change because of bad weather or for organisational reasons: always confirm before setting off.

What are rustie?

It is the Ligurian name for roast chestnuts, chestnuts roasted over the fire.