Autumn & Halloween Events in Geneva & Switzerland Guide

Last Updated: 28 August 2026

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 want spooky events 🎃👻
- Scary Night @ Chillon Castle | 10 Oct 2026
- Megalloween Experience | 31 Oct 2026
- Halloween au Château | 31 Oct 2026
- ⭐ Hallomania | 24 Oct – 1 Nov 2026
I want something less spooky and more cozy 🍂☕
- ⭐ Easy walks in and around Geneva for leaf peeping | now until end of October (ish)
- Fêtes de la Châtaigne (Chestnut Festival) | 17 – 18 Oct 2026
- La Bénichon de Châtel-St-Denis | 15-18 Oct 2026
- Marché aux Truffes de Bonvillars (Bonvillars Truffle Market) | 31 Oct 2026
- ⭐ Les Automnales | 6 – 15 Nov 2026
- Zibelemärit (Onion Market ) | 23 Nov 2026

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

Scary Night @ Chillon Castle | Montreux | Saturday, 10 October 2026

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!

Megalloween Experience | Palexpo | Saturday, 31 October 2026
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. Celebrating it’s 20th edition, Megalloween is promised to be even bigger and better than before in 2026.

Halloween au Château | Nyon | Saturday, 31 October 2026

This annual family-friendly event is set in the beautiful Château de Prangins, which is only 30 mins away from Geneva. There will be a series of Halloween related events throughout October, like candlelit tours of the castles and fun workshops, as well as spooky storytelling.

Hallomania | Geneva | 24 October – 1 November 2026

If you’re looking for trick-or-treating in Geneva for the little ones, look no further. Hallomania is a weeklong festival that features many 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. 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.

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 | 17 – 18 October 2026

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 | 15-18 October 2026

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, 31 October 2026

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 | 6 – 15 November 2026

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.

Onion Market (Zibelemärit) | Bern | Monday, 23 November 2026

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!