Lake Como Events in October 2026: 25+ Festivals, Food Fairs & Things to Do

October is when Lake Como quietly turns into another beautiful version of itself. The summer crowds are gone, the hillsides start turning copper and gold, and the calendar fills up with chestnut festivals, harvest fairs, garden shows and two of the biggest sporting days of the year. Lake Como events in October 2026 include Orticolario at Villa Erba, the finish of the Il Lombardia cycling classic on Como’s lakefront, the historic Centomiglia powerboat race, Villa Carlotta’s pumpkin patch and a whole string of village castagnate (chestnut festivals).

Just like my September events guide, every date below comes from the event’s own website, the town’s official calendar or recent local press, and I’ve linked the source for each one so you can double-check times before you go. Here’s exactly what’s on if you’re wondering what to do in Lake Como in October 2026.

Lake Como Events in October 2026: Como & Cernobbio

The first basin of the lake, around Como and Cernobbio, has the biggest headline events of the month: a garden show, a world-class bike race, a powerboat race and three home matches at the lakefront stadium, plus a month-long food festival in local restaurants.

Orticolario 2026: October 1–4

Dates: October 1–4, 2026 (Thursday 3:00–7:00 PM, Friday to Sunday 9:00 AM–7:00 PM)
Where: Villa Erba, Largo Luchino Visconti 4, Cernobbio
Tickets: Full-day ticket from €18 to €22 depending on the day and ticket type, afternoon entry from 3:00 PM €18, students aged 15 to 25 €16, children up to 14 free
More info: orticolario.it

The lake’s big autumn garden show, now in its 16th edition. More than 250 exhibitors fill Villa Erba’s century-old park and exhibition halls with rare plants, garden design, art installations and artisan crafts. This year’s theme, “/en rêverie”, leans into dreams and the fantastic, with workshops, talks and tastings running every day.

Insider tip: On Saturday, October 3 and Sunday, October 4 a boat runs from Como’s Pier 5 (Lungo Lario Trento) straight to Villa Erba’s own jetty, and the ride is included in your Orticolario ticket. It’s far easier than trying to park in Cernobbio on a festival weekend. If you have time afterwards, my guide to Cernobbio covers the quiet lanes of the village, a short walk from the gates.

Lake Como Creativity Week: Final Days to October 4

Dates: Through Sunday, October 4, 2026 (started September 28)
Where: Como, Cantù and towns across the province
More info: lakecomocreativityweek.it

If you’re here in the first days of October, you’ll catch the last of Lake Como Creativity Week: open studios, archive openings, concerts and visits inside local silk and textile companies, all built around the area’s design and craft heritage.

Miniartextil 35: October 4 to November 1

Dates: October 4 to November 1, 2026 (opening events on Saturday, October 3)
Where: 10 venues in Como, Cernobbio and Cantù, including Palazzo del Borgo and Villa Gallia
More info: miniartextil.it

The 35th edition of Como’s international textile art show, themed “The Poetics of Fragility”. It brings together 54 miniature textile works and larger installations by artists from 30 countries, spread across the city as a walkable trail. A fitting show for a city that was built on silk.

Insider tip: On opening day, Saturday, October 3, the old church of Sant’Agata reopens to the public for the first time in 57 years as one of the exhibition venues (7:00 PM). Worth catching if you’re in town that evening.

Il Lombardia 2026: Saturday, October 10

Date: Saturday, October 10, 2026 (starts in Bergamo at 11:00 AM, expected finish around 4:40 PM)
Where: Finish line on Lungolario Trento, Como’s lakefront
Cost: Free to watch from the roadside
More info: ilombardia.it

The 120th edition of cycling’s last Monument classic of the season: 239 km from Bergamo to Como with around 4,600 m of climbing. The route follows the Lecco shore to Bellagio, climbs the legendary Madonna del Ghisallo, then finishes with a new 22 km circuit around Como over San Fermo della Battaglia (twice) and the steep Civiglio before the run-in to the lakefront.

Insider tip: Expect road closures around Como and the Triangolo Lariano for much of Saturday afternoon. If you’re driving in, read my Como parking guide first and park early, outside the center. The final climbs on the hills above town are the best spots to see the riders up close, while the lakefront finish gets very crowded.

Centomiglia del Lario 2026: October 9–11

Dates: October 9–11, 2026, with the main race on Sunday, October 11
Where: The first basin of the lake between Como, Cernobbio, Blevio and Torno (race base in Cernobbio)
Cost: Free from the public viewing points along the shore
More info: centomigliadellario.com

One of Europe’s oldest powerboat races, held since 1949, returns for its 77th edition. This year it’s dedicated to Stefano Casiraghi, who won it 40 years ago in 1986. Friday and Saturday are for practice and the support classes, and on Sunday all classes race a lengthened course with a turning buoy past Punta di Torno.

Insider tip: The start is traditionally at 2:00 PM, but this year it may be pushed back, because Como vs Roma kicks off at the lakefront stadium at 12:30 PM the same day. Check the official site on the morning of the race.

Como 1907 Home Matches: Roma, Manchester United & Sassuolo

• Como vs Roma (Serie A): Sunday, October 11, 12:30 PM
• Como vs Manchester United (Champions League): Wednesday, October 21, 6:45 PM
• Como vs Sassuolo (Serie A): Saturday, October 24, 3:00 PM

Where: Stadio Giuseppe Sinigaglia, on the Como lakefront
Official tickets: tickets.comofootball.com

Watching a match at the Sinigaglia, with the lake on one side and the Brunate hillside rising behind the stands, is one of the most unusual football experiences in Europe. October has three home games, including a Champions League night against Manchester United.

Insider tip: The Manchester United game will be in huge demand, so buy only through the club’s official ticket site and be careful with resale listings at inflated prices. Kick-off times can still move for TV, so confirm them closer to the date.

Selvatica Food Festival: All of October

Dates: October 1–31, 2026
Where: 53 restaurants across Como and its province
More info: rassegnaselvatica.it (list of participating restaurants and menus)

Now in its eighth edition, Selvatica is a month-long food festival organized by Confcommercio Como, built around game, freshwater lake fish and ingredients foraged from the woods. There’s no fixed menu or price: each restaurant creates its own Selvatica dishes, so browse the official list and pick a place near where you’re staying.

Insider tip: This is the easiest way to eat properly local in October without having to time your trip around a village festival. It’s also a good excuse to book a table somewhere you’d never find on your own.

Sagra del Torchio in Palanzo: Sunday, October 11

Date: Sunday, October 11, 2026, 10:00 AM–6:00 PM (held rain or shine)
Where: Palanzo, a hillside hamlet of Faggeto Lario, about 15 km from Como on the road toward Bellagio
Cost: Free entry
More info: torchiodipalanzo.org

Palanzo’s enormous wooden wine press dates back to 1572 and is a national monument. Once a year it’s put back to work: you can watch the grapes being pressed, taste the juice from the first pressing, and fill up on local food like polenta, salamella sandwiches and roasted chestnuts while looking out over the lake.

Events Around the Lake: Tremezzina, Bellagio & the North

The western shore around Tremezzina has the fullest autumn calendar on the lake this year, with Villa Carlotta’s autumn festival, FAI events at Villa del Balbianello and a chestnut festival almost every Sunday.

Villa Carlotta Autumn Festival & Pumpkin Patch: To November 8

Dates: October 2 to November 8, 2026
Where: Villa Carlotta, Tremezzina
Hours: 10:00 AM–7:00 PM until October 18 (last ticket 6:00 PM), then 10:00 AM–6:00 PM from October 19 (last ticket 5:00 PM). The pumpkin patch is open 10:00 AM–5:00 PM.
Tickets: Adults €17.50, families (2 adults and 2 children) €35, pumpkin patch included with entry
More info: villacarlotta.it

Lake Como’s only pumpkin patch is set up in the upper part of Villa Carlotta’s park, with a giant pumpkin on display for a limited time, hay-bale sofas, scarecrows and photo spots. Pair it with the autumn colors in the botanical garden and the “European Dynasties on Lake Como” exhibition inside the villa, which runs until December 8.

Insider tip: The pumpkin carving and coloring workshops (60 minutes, entry ticket plus €7 per pumpkin) run on October 24 and 25 (10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM), October 30 (2:00 PM and 3:30 PM) and October 31 (10:30 AM, 12:00 PM, 2:00 PM and 3:30 PM). Book ahead, and note that a parent has to do the actual carving for anyone under 18. There’s also a guided walk, “In the Footsteps of Princess Carlotta”, on Thursday, October 15 at 9:30 AM. For everything else to see at the villa, read my full Villa Carlotta guide.

FAI Autumn Days 2026: October 10–11

Dates: Saturday and Sunday, October 10–11, 2026
Where: Over 700 sites across Italy. Around the lake: the park of Villa del Balbianello, La Velarca and the Torre del Soccorso (“Barbarossa” tower) in Tremezzina, Palazzo della Rienza in Como, the Navigazione Laghi shipyard at Tavernola and Palazzo Scotti in Laino. On the Lecco side, Palazzo Agudio in Malgrate.
Cost: Free-will donation. Some sites need booking or give priority to FAI members.
More info: fondoambiente.it

Once a year, FAI (Italy’s equivalent of the National Trust) opens places that are normally closed or little known. Around Como, the shipyard where the lake ferries are maintained and La Velarca, a house built on an old lake barge, are exactly the kind of places you can’t usually walk into. Check each site’s page on the FAI website for times and booking before you go.

Dinners With FAI at Villa del Balbianello: October 17, 24 & 31

Dates: Saturdays, October 17, 24 and 31, 2026, at 7:00 PM
Where: Villa del Balbianello, Lenno (Tremezzina)
More info: visit-tremezzina.it

Tremezzina Gastronomica, the area’s long-running autumn food festival, closes the season with special menus in local restaurants, and FAI joins in with three evening dinners at Villa del Balbianello. Dinner at the villa after dark is a completely different experience from a daytime visit. The restaurant program for 2026 hadn’t been published yet at the time of writing, so check with the Tremezzina Infopoint (+39 0344 40493) for participating restaurants and dates.

Chestnut Festivals & Village Weekends in Tremezzina

A castagnata is a simple village chestnut roast: chestnuts roasted over open fires, mulled wine, and the whole village out on a Sunday. Tremezzina has one almost every weekend in October, all from the official Tremezzina events calendar.

• Guided tour of the Antiquarium and Isola Comacina: Saturday, October 3, 11:00 AM (Comune di Tremezzina).
• Oktoberfest in Lenno: Saturday, October 3, 8:00 PM, Piazza XI Febbraio.
• Castagnata in Ossuccio: Sunday, October 4 (Pro Loco Ossuccio).
• Castagnata in Mezzegra: Sunday, October 11, in the municipal park (Pro Loco Mezzegra).
• Castagnata in Lenno: Sunday, October 18 (Pro Loco Tremezzo).
• Autumn lunch and chestnuts at Torre di Rogaro, Tremezzo: Sunday, October 18, 12:30 PM (Pro Loco Tremezzo).

More info for all of the above: visit-tremezzina.it

More at Villa del Balbianello: Trekking, Bike Tour & Guided Visits

• “Trekking among history, nature and culture”: Saturdays, October 17 and 31, at 10:00 AM.
• Bike tour in Tremezzina: Sunday, October 18, at 10:00 AM.
• Special guided tour “Ti racconto Guido Monzino” (about the explorer who left the villa to FAI): Sunday, October 18, at 10:30 AM.

All organized by FAI and listed on visit-tremezzina.it. Book through FAI, since places are limited. If you’ve never been, my Villa del Balbianello guide explains how to get there and what to see.

Bellagio Sky Race 2026: Sunday, October 25

Date: Sunday, October 25, 2026 (morning start)
Where: Start in Bellagio’s San Giacomo church square, finish on Lungolago Europa by the ferry pier
More info: bellagioskyrace.it

The 12th edition of Bellagio’s mountain race: 28.5 km and 1,850 m of climbing up to Monte San Primo (1,680 m), the highest point of the Triangolo Lariano, plus a 16.8 km half distance and a short race for kids. Online registration closes on October 22. Even if you’re not running, the finish on the lakefront makes for a lively Sunday in Bellagio.

Also in Bellagio: The local artisan market fills Lungolago Europa on Sunday, October 4, from 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM (comune.bellagio.co.it). For the rest of the village, see my guide to what to see in Bellagio.

Colico, Dervio & Varenna: Early October

• Seven Swim Race, Colico: Saturday, October 3, from 8:00 AM at La Breva. The second edition of this open-water swim race at the top of the lake. More info: northlakecomo.net
• Degustando Dervio: Saturday, October 3, 6:00 PM to midnight. The second date of the evening wine walk through seven historic cellars in Dervio’s old town (Blue Route for Northern Italian wines, Red Route for Central and Southern). Book through the Dervio Infopoint (+39 0341 040021).
• Vintage Market, Colico: The traditional vintage market in Piazza Garibaldi runs until October 25. More info: northlakecomo.net
• “Sguardi sul Lago” photo exhibition, Varenna: A group photography show about Lake Como inside the Chiesa di Santa Marta, until October 4. More info: varennaturismo.com

Heading that far north? My Colico guide covers the forts, Piona Abbey and the rest of the lake’s rugged northern shore.

Things to Do Near Lecco in October 2026

The southeastern arm of the lake has a busy cultural October, from a Manzoni festival to a travel festival and a village that turns back the clock by a century.

• Lecco Città dei Promessi Sposi: October 2 to November 7, 2026. The 18th edition of Lecco’s festival dedicated to Alessandro Manzoni and The Betrothed, themed “War, Justice, Freedom”. The main program runs October 2–4 at Villa Manzoni, followed by a theatrical “Manzonian dinner” on October 9 (€45) and the 53rd Camminata Manzoniana walk on Sunday, October 11. More info: comune.lecco.it
• Immagimondo: October 3–18, 2026. The 29th edition of this festival of travel, places and cultures, with more than 40 events (photo exhibitions, films, talks, walks and workshops) in Lecco, Civate and Mandello del Lario. Entry is free. More info: immagimondo.it
• Schiavocampo exhibition: October 3 to November 22, 2026, at Palazzo delle Paure, the main exhibition space of Lecco’s city museums. More info: leccotoday.it
• “Ennio Morlotti. Un Marziano a Lecco!?”: October 8 to December 31, 2026. Around 60 works by Lecco’s best-known 20th-century painter at Galleria Bellinzona, Via A. Visconti 12. More info: primalecco.it
• Premana Rivive l’Antico: October 10–11, 2026. Held only every two years, this is one of the most impressive historical reenactments in the area: more than 500 villagers in period costume bring old crafts and daily life back to Premana, high in the Valsassina. Tickets are sold online in advance (free for children under 6) and include the village’s ethnographic museum. More info: premanarivivelantico.it

Day Trips to Valtellina: Wine & Cheese Festivals

Morbegno sits just past the top of the lake at the entrance to Valtellina, an easy train ride from Colico, and October is its big month.

Morbegno in Cantina: October 2–4 & 9–11

Dates: October 2–4 and October 9–11, 2026 (the first weekend was September 25–27). Friday 6:00–10:00 PM, Saturday 12:00–10:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM–6:00 PM.
Where: Historic cellars, courtyards and palazzi in Morbegno’s old town
More info: morbegnoincantina.info

Valtellina’s best-known wine event: walking routes through the old town’s cellars with tastings of more than 60 local wines, from Sforzato to sparkling, led by sommeliers and producers and paired with local food.

Mostra del Bitto 2026: October 17–18

Dates: Saturday, October 17 (10:00 AM–10:00 PM) and Sunday, October 18 (10:00 AM–6:00 PM), 2026
Where: Morbegno
More info: mostradelbitto.com

The 119th edition of one of the oldest food fairs in Lombardy, dedicated to Bitto, Valtellina’s famous mountain cheese. Expect producer stalls, tastings, a teaching farm, old crafts demonstrations and the cheese competition awards on Sunday at 11:00 AM in Piazza Sant’Antonio. New this year is the “Giro Bitto Cheese & Wine”, a tasting route through four cellars with cheese masterclasses.

Events in Erba & the Brianza Hills

About 20 minutes south of Como, the hills around Erba have a much-loved autumn food festival and a full program at the LarioFiere exhibition center.

• Festa dei Crotti, Albavilla: October 3–4 and 10–11, 2026 (Saturday from 5:00 PM, Sunday from 9:00 AM). The village opens its crotti, old cellars dug into the rock, for tastings of local products, with food tents, music and roasted chestnuts. A free shuttle bus runs on Sundays. More info: prolocoalbavilla.it
• Como Tattoo Convention: October 2–4, 2026, at LarioFiere, Erba. More info: comotattooconvention.com
• Como Fun: October 17–18, 2026, at LarioFiere. A pop culture fair with comics, video games and cosplay, good for families. More info: lariofiere.com
• Mostra Artigianato: October 24 to November 1, 2026, at LarioFiere. A large Italian crafts fair with fashion, food, furniture and design from artisans across the country. More info: lariofiere.com

Good to Know Before You Go in October

• The ferry timetable changes after October 4. The summer timetable runs until Sunday, October 4, and the autumn timetable has fewer boats, especially in the evening. Check navigazionelaghi.it before planning an evening event across the lake.
• Clocks go back on Sunday, October 25. It gets dark noticeably earlier in the last week of the month, so plan villa visits and hikes for the morning.
• October 10–11 is the busiest weekend of the month. Il Lombardia, the Centomiglia, Como vs Roma, the FAI Autumn Days, Premana Rivive l’Antico, the Sagra del Torchio and Albavilla’s Festa dei Crotti all fall on the same two days. Book your accommodation early and expect traffic around Como.
• Looking for “Castagne, Streghe e… Dintorni” in Rovenna? The witches and chestnuts festival above Cernobbio celebrated its 20th edition in October 2025, and its official site doesn’t list an October 2026 date at the time of writing (keep an eye on castagnestregheedintorni.it). Rovenna does open the second edition of RicorDipinti, a trail of 34 painted panels about the village’s history, on Saturday, October 3 at 3:30 PM.

FAQ: Lake Como in October

That’s everything I could confirm for Lake Como events in October 2026. Smaller village events, especially Halloween activities and extra chestnut festivals, are usually announced only a week or two ahead, so I’ll keep this page updated as they come in. Bookmark it and check back.

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