When is the sagra season in Piedmont?

The heaviest months are September and October, when the harvest festivals, the truffle fairs and the wine sagre run almost every weekend. A second, smaller season runs from late May to mid July. November brings the truffle markets and December the Christmas markets. January and February are the quietest months of the year in the hills, though Turin and the ski valleys stay busy.

Do I need to book?

For village sagre, almost never for entry, but often yes for the sit-down dinner, which is usually the point of the evening. For a tasting at a named winery, always. For the large truffle fairs, entry is ticketed at the door and the cookery demonstrations sell out.

Is anything open on Monday?

Less than you would like. Many restaurants and most small museums in the Langhe and Monferrato close on Monday and often Tuesday as well. Plan markets and walks for those days.

Can I get around without a car?

Between the cities, yes. Turin, Asti, Alessandria, Novara, Cuneo and Alba are connected by rail. Between the villages, realistically no. Most of the events in this calendar are in comuni of a few thousand people reached by one bus a day, if that, and many rural routes do not run on Sundays.

Are the events free?

Many village festivals are free to enter and charge for the food. Where we know the price we show it, and events we know to be free carry a Free label. Where the field is empty we genuinely do not know, and the organiser's page is the place to look.

Why are some listings so short?

Because that is all the source published. We would rather show you a real event with three lines than a padded description we made up. See our editorial standards.

How do I get my event listed?

Use the submission form. It is free.

Can I subscribe to the calendar?

Yes. Every filtered view has a calendar subscription link, so you can have, for example, all wine and food events in the province of Asti appear in your own calendar app.