Autumn Pumpkin Festival in Palizzi

Piazza Umberto I · Palizzi, Costa Viola, Calabria

4 October 2026

On Sunday 4 October 2026 Piazza Umberto I, in the old village of Palizzi, hosts the second edition of the Autumn Pumpkin Festival. It starts at 5 pm with entertainment and games for children, popcorn and candy floss; from 7 pm there is a tasting of pumpkin-based food, followed by a contest for the heaviest pumpkin and karaoke with Franco Pellegrino. A village afternoon in the Greek-speaking area of Calabria, at the foot of Aspromonte, and a good excuse to walk up to Palizzi Superiore and its castle.

What the Autumn Pumpkin Festival is

The Autumn Pumpkin Festival is a small village celebration that started in Palizzi in 2025 to welcome autumn with the season's signature vegetable. The first edition took place on Saturday 11 October 2025 in Piazza Umberto I, promoted by the associations Poliscin APS and Thétis APS together with the Palizzi music association, with the support of the town council. That year the programme included a contest for the biggest pumpkin, children's games, craft and food stalls and a tasting of Palizzi IGT wine. The second edition returns on Sunday 4 October 2026 in the same square, with a simple format: an afternoon for children and an evening to taste pumpkin dishes and spend a few hours together. It is not a large-scale food fair but a community event in a small historic village that fills up with families on these occasions.

The programme for 4 October 2026

The published programme for the second edition has two parts. At 5 pm the square opens for children, with entertainment and games featuring Disney characters, plus popcorn and candy floss. From 7 pm the festival continues with a tasting of pumpkin-based food, the star of the evening. This is followed by the contest for the heaviest pumpkin, successor to the biggest-pumpkin challenge of the first edition, and by karaoke hosted by Franco Pellegrino to close the evening. No finishing time has been announced, nor a list of dishes or producers. Anyone wishing to enter their own pumpkin in the contest should check registration and weighing arrangements with the local organisers in advance, as these have not been published on the public channels consulted.

Where it takes place and how to get to Palizzi

The festival is held in Piazza Umberto I, in the historic centre of Palizzi, a village perched on the southern slopes of Aspromonte, a short distance from the Ionian coast. The municipality is split between the old village, Palizzi Superiore, and the seaside district of Palizzi Marina, where the station on the Ionian railway line is located. By car from Reggio Calabria, take the SS106 Jonica eastwards to Palizzi Marina and then drive inland up the provincial road to the village, a few kilometres of bends. From Locri and Siderno, follow the same road southwards. Streets in the old centre are narrow and parking is limited, so it is worth arriving a little before 5 pm, especially with children, and leaving the car on the edge of the village. Train travellers will still need a lift from Palizzi Marina station up to the village.

Palizzi, the southernmost village of the peninsula

Palizzi is described as the southernmost medieval village on the Italian peninsula, and the tourism office of the Metropolitan City of Reggio Calabria presents it as the place where Italy begins. It belongs to the area grecanica, the Ionian side of the Reggio province linked to the Greek-Calabrian language and culture. The old village stands on a sandstone cliff topped by its castle, a national monument: medieval in origin, it was contested and remodelled over the centuries by several feudal families, including the Ruffo, and its walls, a tower and prison cells carved into the rock survive. Among the stone houses are the catoja, semi-underground rooms once used to store food. The village of Palizzi Superiore has also been nominated among the FAI Places of the Heart. A walk through its lanes before or after the festival gives a good sense of the place.

Pumpkin and Palizzi IGT wine

Pumpkin is a humble and versatile ingredient of Calabrian peasant cooking, used in autumn for soups, fritters, sauces and preserves, which makes it the natural star of a seasonal festival. Palizzi, however, is best known for another product: wine. The village gives its name to the Palizzi IGT, a protected geographical indication on the Ionian side of the Reggio province whose production area covers Bova, Bova Marina, Brancaleone, Condofuri, Palizzi and Staiti, with vineyards on clay soils at around 250 metres above sea level. The best-known Palizzi is a dry red, and thanks to its winemaking tradition the town is a member of the national Città del Vino association. A tasting of Palizzi IGT wine was part of the first edition of the festival; for 2026 it has not been specified whether it will return.

Practical information

The festival takes place outdoors in the square and no entry ticket has been announced: attendance is free, while tastings may require a contribution, to be checked on site. The date is Sunday 4 October 2026, starting at 5 pm with the children's activities and from 7 pm with the food part. As it is an outdoor event in early October, bring a light jacket for the evening, when temperatures drop in the hills. In case of bad weather, any changes are usually announced on the social media channels of the village associations. If you want to spend a few days on the Ionian coast or in the area grecanica, you can look for accommodation among the holiday rentals on the portal and find other events of the period in the events calendar for Calabria.

Frequently asked questions

When is the Autumn Pumpkin Festival in Palizzi?

On Sunday 4 October 2026. Children's activities start at 5 pm, the pumpkin food tasting from 7 pm, followed by the heaviest-pumpkin contest and karaoke. No finishing time has been announced.

Where is the festival held?

In Piazza Umberto I, in the historic centre of Palizzi (Palizzi Superiore), province of Reggio Calabria. The village is reached by car from Palizzi Marina, on the SS106 Jonica road.

Is entry free?

No entry ticket has been published: the festival takes place in the square and is open to everyone. Any charges for the tastings have not been announced and should be checked on site.

Is it suitable for children?

Yes. The first part of the afternoon, from 5 pm, is designed for younger visitors, with entertainment and games with Disney characters, popcorn and candy floss.

How can I enter the heaviest-pumpkin contest?

The programme lists the contest after the evening tasting, but entry and weighing arrangements have not been made public. Ask the local associations or enquire in the square before the start.

What else is there to see in Palizzi?

The castle, a national monument overlooking the village from its cliff, the lanes of the old centre with their catoja and the Church of the Holy Spirit. The area produces Palizzi IGT red wine, and the sea at Palizzi Marina is a few kilometres away.

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