Pumpkin Festival in Gavirate: an October weekend of festivals and sports

Context

In brief

• On Sunday, October 4, the Pumpkin Festival is scheduled in Gavirate.
• The Grand Fondo may complicate travel on Sunday.
• Oktoberfest at Schiranna continues until October 18.
• In the Varese area, food festivals, music, culture and sports alternate.

Key facts

• Period → first weekend of October
• Main event → Pumpkin Festival on the Gavirate lakeside
• Road traffic → many road closures for the Grand Fondo
• Oktoberfest → Schiranna festival area until October 18
• Tasting → twelve wineries at the Chiostro di Voltorre
• StraWoman → start at 10:30, Village at the Giardini Estensi
• Concert → Between Sky and Earth at 21:00 at the Chiesa della Brunella
• Book → The Dialect of Lake Varese at 21:00 in the council chamber

On Sunday, October 4, the Gavirate lakeside will be the focal point of the weekend in the Varese area. The Pumpkin Festival, listed in the roundup as the main event, brings together food stalls, entertainment and live music.

Pumpkin Festival and road traffic

The program also includes a historical re-enactment, with a camp and faithfully recreated artifacts relating to Celts, Lombards and Normans, as well as a chestnut festival. The lakeside event is therefore the main autumn event among those listed for the weekend.

That same Sunday, the Grand Fondo Tre Valli Varesine, an amateur cycling race that will pass along numerous roads in the province of Varese, is on the calendar. The source notes possible travel difficulties precisely because many roads will be closed due to the event passing through.

The roundup also points to a detailed article with the scheduled times and closures, intended to help plan travel. The issue of road traffic therefore accompanies the presentation of Sunday's events, alongside the food and cultural program of the Pumpkin Festival.

The first weekend of October is presented as a transition between the newly begun autumn and outdoor activities. The weather is described as mild and pleasant, while the calendar brings together food stalls, cultural events and recreational opportunities for the whole family.

The roundup does not concentrate its offerings in a single location: alongside the lakeside events are musical initiatives, tastings, sports activities and evenings devoted to culture. The province of Varese is thus preparing for a packed weekend, with the cycling race and the related road closures as factors to consider when traveling on Sunday.

Operational details

The appointment map

The weekend program combines the Pumpkin Festival with a series of initiatives distributed across Varese and other places in the province. The proposal ranges from cuisine to music, from wines to local history, without giving up events designed for free time.

Between tastings, music and words

At Schiranna, in the party area, the Oktoberfest in the city continues until October 18th, with flavors and fun in Munich style. Every weekend there will be food stands, music and entertainment.

On Saturday 3 October the Cloister of Voltorre hosts Chiostro diVino, an evening dedicated to tasting wines from twelve wineries. The tasting is scheduled to start from 5pm, while the Bollicine masterclass is scheduled for 4pm.

Choral music finds space on Saturday at 9pm in the Brunella Church with Tra cielo e terra. The event involves the Sine Nomine Choir, directed by Giuseppe Reggiori, and the organist Andrea Gottardello.

Also on Saturday, at 9pm in the Council Room, the book Il dialetto del lago di Varese will be presented. It is a dialect-Italian and Italian-dialect vocabulary created by Maurizio Danelli and Giorgio Sassi.

At 7pm, at Origini Local Bakery in via Lombardia 52/A, Origini Country Fest is scheduled. The evening offers a Wild West atmosphere, music and local flavours.

The summary of events also highlights a food stand in Caldana, in the Cocquio area, AgriMornago and Zuccagnata in Cadrezzate with Osmate. In Marchirolo Sardinian cuisine is the protagonist, while in Malnate mushrooms are offered and in Capronno di Angera polenta. They are different proposals, but united by the presence of food, music or entertainment within the provincial program.

Key points

Timetables and travel

The sports program indicated by the event is spread over two days and features different times for the trials, the race and the related initiatives. The schedule reported for the Tre Valli Varesine is as follows.

Race schedule

Sunday's race affects numerous roads in the province of Varese. For this reason, the source points out the possibility of complicated travel and refers readers to the information dedicated to road closures. The same reference also indicates changes relating to the Autolinee Varesine service.

The Sunday program also includes StraWoman, a non-competitive run-walk event dedicated to women. The StraWoman Village is set up at the Giardini Estensi: it is scheduled to open at 8 for the distribution of race packets, while the start is set for 10:30. The awards ceremony is scheduled for 12.

Alongside the run, entertainment areas and activities dedicated to health are planned. The sporting day therefore takes place between the Village at the Giardini Estensi and the Grand Fondo route, with separate events and schedules.

Sunday's overall picture thus remains linked to two elements documented in the event: on the one hand, the presence of sporting events with times already indicated, and on the other, the closure of many roads linked to the passage of the cycling race. For public transport services, the source refers readers to the Autolinee Varesine changes available in the dedicated in-depth article.

Source: varesenoi.it