Pavese Autumn leaves the Fair: wines, cured meats and cheeses can be tasted while sailing on the Ticino River

The program will open on Friday, October 2nd, from 9:00 PM to 10:30 PM, with Andrea Mainardi, chef and television personality who also worked at Gualtiero Marchesi's L'Albereta. On Saturday, October 3rd, it will be Luca Pappagallo, founder of Cookaround and Casa Pappagallo; on Sunday, October 4th, it will be chef and food creator Federico Fusca's turn; and on Monday, October 5th, the closing event will be Ernst Knam, master pastry chef and one of the most recognizable personalities on Italian food television.

Not just a cooking show: three areas to taste the local cuisine

Live cooking will be just one aspect of the event. The program includes masterclasses, guided tastings, hands-on workshops, meetings, children's activities, and insights into wine, beer, cuisine, and local products. No prior registration is required to participate: admission is free, subject to availability. The food offerings are also reorganized into three thematic areas. "Risotti & Sapori" will focus on rice, a symbolic product of the province of Pavia; "Piazza del Gusto" will be dedicated to products transformed into freshly prepared and served dishes; "Mixology & Assaggi d'Autunno" will broaden its scope to include mixed drinks, pairings, and tastings. Food trucks will also make their debut in the outdoor spaces of Palazzo Esposizioni.

Carnaroli rice from Pavia is the star of "Risotto d'Autore"

Rice will also be the focus of one of the most significant innovations of the 2026 edition. This Sunday marks the debut of "The Professionals' Challenge - Signature Risotto," a competition organized in collaboration with the Pavia Chefs Association and open to chefs, cooks, restaurateurs, and culinary professionals. Eight to ten competitors will compete individually, preparing a risotto made with Carnaroli rice from Pavia and seasonal and local Italian ingredients. Each participant will have forty minutes and will be evaluated by a panel of judges based on cooking, flavor and balance, quality of ingredients, creaminess, and presentation. The public can watch the competition in two rounds, at 12:00 PM and 1:30 PM, without reservations required. The winner will be awarded the title of "Best Risotto of the First Edition."

Wine tastings while sailing on the Ticino River

This year, Autunno Pavese will also extend beyond the Fiera. On Sunday, October 4th, "AP sul Ticino" will debut, an experience combining a river cruise with an onboard tasting of Oltrepò Pavese wines, cured meats, and cheeses. There will be four departures from the Pavia Pier on Lungo Ticino Sforza: at 1:00 PM, 2:15 PM, 3:30 PM, and 4:45 PM. Each cruise will last approximately one hour and will be open to a maximum of 25 participants. The experience is free, with prior registration, for those with a valid Fiera ticket for Sunday, October 4th.

Pavese Autumn Part One: Businesses and Wineries Open Their Doors

The event won't end with the four days at Palazzo Esposizioni, however. From September 19th to October 11th, Autunno Pavese in Tour returns, the extended calendar that will bring the "Impronta del Gusto" directly to the farms, wineries, production facilities, and venues of Pavese, Oltrepò, and Lomellina. Tastings, visits, and meetings will allow visitors to learn about products and producers firsthand where they work. The Fair and the Tour thus become two sides of the same project: on the one hand, a major city event, on the other, a regional itinerary built around its agricultural, food, and wine production.

Edoardo Raspelli, chosen as the event's media partner, will also be reporting on the 2026 edition. For the journalist and food critic, this also marks a return to an area with which he shares many personal and professional ties, from Varzi salami to Mortara goose, from rice to the wines of Oltrepò Pavese.

Pavese Autumn 2026: Dates and Times

The Fair will be open on Friday, October 2nd from 5:00 PM to midnight, Saturday, October 3rd from 4:00 PM to midnight, Sunday, October 4th from 10:00 AM to midnight, and Monday, October 5th from 5:00 PM to midnight. The calendar of events and how to participate in the individual initiatives will be updated on the official Autunno Pavese website.