Giant Bingo, Geese on the Spit and Blessed Tractors: Vicenza’s Great Medieval Autumn Fair

Giant Italian bingo in a medieval chess square, geese roasting on spits, tractors blessed for the harvest and a competition for the biggest pumpkins. Discover one of Vicenza's most unusual autumn festivals.

Marostica, the medieval town in Vicenza famous for playing chess with living people, has another extraordinary public game. On 25 October 2026, an enormous Italian bingo board rises above its historic square for the Ancient Saint Simeon's Fair. Geese roast on spits and are served with Marzemino red wine, farmers bring tractors and autumn produce for a traditional blessing, and pumpkins compete for the heaviest, longest and most imaginative entries. An extraordinary celebration of rural Italian traditions, and a particularly unexpected discovery for travellers exploring Vicenza and Europe's lesser known destinations.

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Superchilum, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

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In this story: Giant bingo in the famous chess square · The food: Goose and Marzemino wine · Why farmers bless their tractors · The pumpkin competition · Plan your visit ↓

THE CHESS TOWN HAS ANOTHER GAME TO PLAY

Marostica has a unique relationship with traditional games. Every two years, its medieval Piazza Castello becomes a giant chessboard, with costumed people playing the pieces in one of Italy's most celebrated historical performances. On the last Sunday of October, the square has another appointment: Tombola in Piazza, a public version of Italy's traditional bingo game. A large cartella madre, the master board displaying the numbers, is raised on a stage in the square. Numbers are called before the assembled crowd, with residents and visitors joining the game.

The event is the grand finale of the Antica Fiera di San Simeone, the Ancient Saint Simeon's Fair, which combines the town's patron saint celebration with the traditional end of the agricultural year. [1, 2]

WHY ARE THE TRACTORS BEING BLESSED?

Saint Simeon's Fair also celebrates the farmers and the year's harvest. On Sunday morning, a thanksgiving Mass is followed by the blessing of agricultural tractors and autumn produce, preserving a local religious and farming tradition. The ceremony belongs to a landscape with a long history of seasonal livestock migration. Marostica lies along the Arzeron della Regina, an old route used to move herds towards the mountain pastures of Vicenza's Asiago Plateau. The fair retains this agricultural connection through traditional crafts, seasonal produce, popular games and street entertainment. [1, 4]

GOOSE ON THE SPIT. MARZEMINO IN THE GLASS.

The gastronomic tradition is equally distinctive. During the fair, goose is roasted on a large spit in the chess square and served with Marzemino, a red wine with longstanding roots in northern Italy. Goose has a particular place in Veneto's autumn cooking. Historically associated with Saint Martin's Day on 11 November, it belonged to the rural food calendar marking the end of the agricultural season. Since 2012, Marostica's restaurateurs have promoted this culinary heritage through Oca e Marzemin, meaning Goose and Marzemino, a seasonal food programme exploring both traditional recipes and contemporary interpretations.

For anyone interested in traditional Italian food, the fair offers the opportunity to discover a regional speciality directly where it is prepared, alongside the local agricultural market. [1, 3]

THE GREAT PUMPKIN COMPETITION

The annual Zucca + Zucca, or Pumpkin + Pumpkin, competition takes autumn vegetables very seriously. Three prizes are awarded: one for the heaviest pumpkin, another for the longest and a third for the most original pumpkin arrangement. The competition is open to professional farmers, amateur growers and other participants. Entries are accepted in Piazza Castello on Sunday morning, with the awards ceremony scheduled for 11:30 am.

The prizes are monetary, and the competition is organised as part of the fair by the local Pro Marostica association. [1, 5]

PLAN YOUR VISIT TO VICENZA'S SAINT SIMEON FAIR

Event: Ancient Saint Simeon's Fair, Marostica

Dates: 24 and 25 October 2026

Main fair and traditional ceremonies: Sunday 25 October

Where: Piazza Castello and Marostica's historic centre, Vicenza, Italy

Sunday highlights:

Morning: Agricultural thanksgiving Mass, blessing of tractors and autumn produce.

7:30 to 9:30 am: Pumpkin competition entries.

11:30 am: Pumpkin competition awards in Piazza Castello.

Throughout the day: Agricultural market, traditional food, street entertainment and activities for families.

Tombola in Piazza: Public bingo game in the chess square. Consult the official programme for the starting time.

Tourist information: +39 0424 72127

Email: turismo@comune.marostica.vi.it