The Essential Autumn Season Guide: Can’t-Miss Halloween Events and Late-Autumn Festivals

Written by:

Jessica W

Last Updated: 25 October 2025

We’re firmly in October now – the air is crisp, the final grapes have been pressed, and the cows have all returned from the high Alps. The quiet harvest season is officially over, which means we can turn our full attention to spooky Halloween events and other cozy late-autumn festivities that’s yet to come. We’ve compiled the best fall activities in one list, so you don’t have to dig through your saved Instagram folder for those Influencer reels. It’s time to make the most of the season before it gets cold and dark.  

I love the spooky season, what have you got 🎃👻

Scary Night @ Chillon Castle | Montreux | Saturday, 11 October 2025 @ 18:30

Nothing scarier than being in an actual medieval castle that is deemed as one of the most haunted places in Switzerland. The whole fortress is transformed into a spooky, magical world of fright. There are games for kids, fun performances, and ‘themed food’ (pumpkin?) for visitors. Tickets are CHF 16 for kids and CHF 22 for adults, and need to be purchased online in advance!

“Chillon Castle” by ElleFlorio 

Hollywood Monsters @ Chaplin’s World | Vevey | 11 October – 2 November 2025 (No entertainment on 27-30 October)

Chaplin’s World is one of those underrated tourist destinations that I recommend to all my friends. It’s so incredibly presented and includes a rather immersive experience, where you get to see film sets and feel like you’re walking through Chaplin’s films. For Halloween, they transform the parks and grounds into a spooky adventure, featuring the classic horror characters like Dracula, Frankenstein etc. There are haunted houses, animated sets, and other fun activities like pumpkin carving that is appropriate for the whole family. There is a special event on Halloween itself, with extended hours and more fun. From Geneva, it takes 1.5 hr by public transportation or a 1hr drive by car.

Megalloween Experience | Palexpo | Saturday, 25 October 2025 @ 19:00  
If your knees and liver are still in good working condition, and you’re looking to party until dawn in costume, the Megalloween Experience is what you’re looking for. Palexpo will transform into a ‘circus of horror’, titillating your senses for the brave souls that can handle people dressed up as murderous clowns and other creepy creatures. Tickets are selling like hot cakes, so don’t wait until the last minute if you’re looking for a real party.

Halloween au Château | Nyon | Saturday, 25 October 2025

This annual family-friendly event is set in the beautiful Château de Prangins, which is only 30 mins away from Geneva. The castle will become a haunted place, where visitors can explore the grounds (in costume of course) and learn some haunted stories. Expect spooky fun mixed with cultural history for the whole family. Advance reservation is required!

Hallomania | Geneva | 25 October – 2 November 2025 

If you’re looking for trick-or-treating in Geneva for the little ones, look no further. Hallomania is a weeklong festival that features 17 kid-friendly (and some adult-oriented) events around the city. The most popular event is the trick-or-treat around Old Town and the candy hunt in Eaux-Vives Park for kids, and is a ticketed event (CHF27+). There are also trick-or-treat events in vineyards, which means the adults can enjoy some wine tasting while the kids are hunting for candy. For more adult-oriented events, there is a “torture and punishment” candlelit night tour around old town, where you can learn more about the more haunted history of Geneva. There are many other interesting activities listed in their full program and worth checking out. Note that all of the activities are ticketed events and require advance booking. 

GENIALLOWEEN | Palexpo | 2 November 2025 @ 11:00

For more family-friendly Halloween events, you won’t want to miss GENIALLOWEEN. On 2 November, Palexpo will transform into a gigantic Halloween-themed playground for kids, with tons of activities, shows, and concerts! It’s a ticketed event (CHF 39 per ticket, free entry for kids under 2), so be sure to snag one before you go.

I want something less spooky and more cozy 🍂☕

Easy walks for maximum fall foliage | Now until end of October(ish)

We wrote a more detailed guide about easy walks in and around Geneva to see the beautiful leaves. The keywords being easy here, for the people that enjoy being outside but not trying to kill themselves on a 8hr hike in Switzerland.

Fêtes de la Châtaigne (Chestnut Festival) | Fully | 11 – 12 October 2025

Fêtes de la Châtaigne is one of the most famous and celebrated autumn events in French-speaking Switzerland, and makes for a great cozy weekend trip. The whole village of Fully celebrates the chestnut, where you will find many roasted chestnut stalls, and chestnut related products (chestnut honey, chestnut flour, chestnut desserts…) in the artisan market of over 300 stalls. You can expect to find brisolée, the local rustic meal from Valais that features meat and cheese from the region, along with, you guessed it – roasted chestnuts. Fully is 1.5h by car from Geneva and 2hr by public transportation.

La Bénichon de Châtel-St-Denis | Châtel-St-Denis | 16-19 October 2025

La Bénichon de Châtel-St-Denis is a traditional folk festival that celebrates the harvest, the herds’ descent and the start of winter. While it started out as a religious ceremony, it’s transformed into one big gastronomic feast where you’re supposed to eat for at least 6 hours! Expect lots of regional foods like cuchaule (brioche bread) and Bénichon mustard, meringues, berries, double cream and more. You can see the herd’s descent but also bell ringers, flag throwers, brass bands and more in the grand procession on Sunday. The admission cost for the procession is CHF 10. Travel time from Geneva is roughly 1.5h by public transportation or 1h by car. 

Marché aux Truffes de Bonvillars (Bonvillars Truffle Market) | Bonvillars | Saturday, 25 October 2025

The Bonvillars Truffle Market is an event dedicated to the fragrant, locally-sourced Swiss truffle. The picturesque lakeside village of Bonvillars is worth a weekend trip, where you can buy freshly harvested “black diamonds” directly from the caveurs (truffle hunters) and enjoy gourmet tastings like truffle fondue and pasta. The highlight is the lively cavage (truffle hunt) demonstration, where expert dogs showcase their exceptional capabilities for hunting truffles! From Geneva, it’s about 1h by car and 1.5h by public transportation.

Les Automnales | Palexpo | 7 – 16 November 2025

Les Automnales is Geneva’s annual autumn fair, which showcases an eclectic mix of stuff from home goods, cars/bikes, food festivals, craft beers, and wines. It’s great because it’s a festival that caters to that end-of-fall, start-of-winter-nesting mindset. Tickets are CHF 10 online, CHF 15 on site. You can take advantage of the free days From Monday, November 10 to Thursday, November 13, which requires you to fill out a registration form in advance. 

Second-hand English Book Sale @ Library in English | Geneva | 7 – 9 November

There’s nothing more cozy than picking up your next read for the winter season. The Library in English is a volunteer-run library based in Pâquis, that’s been operating since 1930. They hold twice yearly second-hand book sales that help support the library operations. If you are a book lover, you should not miss this event! The sale features an incredibly extensive selection of English books across genres, for both adults and children. The pricing for the books range from CHF 3-7, depending on the condition and popularity of the book. Please note that for payment, only cash or TWINT is accepted.

World Cheese Awards 2025 | Bern | 13 – 15 November 2025

The World Cheese Awards will be held for the first time on Swiss soil in Bern, which will transform into the capital of cheese! Over 5,000 cheeses from around 50 countries will compete, judged by a panel of international experts in a quest for the coveted World Champion title. The tasting isn’t only limited to the experts of course! Cheese lovers can indulge at the Swiss Fine Food Market and Bern Cheese Festival, featuring tastings, authentic Swiss specialties, and a packed schedule of cheesy cultural events. Bern is about 2 hours away from Geneva both by car or public transportation.

Fondue World Championship| Tartegnin | 14 – 16 November 2025

Held every two years in the charming Vaudois village of Tartegnin (near Nyon), the 5th edition in 2025 will celebrate the 10th anniversary of this unique global competition where amateur and professional chefs vie for the title of best fondue. It’s a huge, lively festival featuring tastings, workshops, live concerts, and traditional Swiss entertainment, dedicated entirely to the glory of cheese, primarily Gruyère AOP. There’s a mandatory entry fee at CHF 17.00 per person, tasting and Catering is separate.

Onion Market (Zibelemärit) | Bern | Monday, 24 November 2025

The Onion Market is another one of those unique traditional folk festivals in Switzerland, which celebrates onions! You can find onions of all shapes and sizes, made into tasty fares like onion soup, onion tarts, and also artistic arrangements of…onions.  It traditionally falls on the 4th Monday of November, hence why it’s on a Monday but if you’re an onion lover, it might be worth checking out in Bern!

What else did we miss? Let us know in the comments!

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