Turnip lantern parades in the canton of Zurich, 2026
Wallisellen opens on Friday, 30 October — of 19 dates we read at the source, none is earlier.
✓ Checked at the source · as of 21 October 2026
Turnip lantern parades in the canton of Zurich
Tap a place: every time slot and what to know before you go, on one page.
📅 12 parades 2026 with date and start time
6 of 11 begin on a Saturday — the day to keep free.
- Start
- 18:00–23:00
- Meeting point
- Zentrum Wallisellen
- Organiser
- Verschönerungsverein Wallisellen (VVW)
Takes place only every two years – 2026 is a parade year.
Good to know- The only large parade of the season that still falls in October rather than November.
- According to the Verschönerungsverein, around 1,800 children take part on average.
- After the parade, FC Wallisellen runs a refreshment stand in the multi-purpose hall.
Source: wallisellen.ch · checked on 19 October 2026
- Start
- 18:00
- Meeting point
- Unterillnau: Hagenstrasse vor dem Tageshort · Oberillnau: Gstückstrasse
- Destination
- Schule Illnau
- Food and drink
- Würstli, Suppe, Kuchen, Glühwein und Punsch bei der Schule
- Preparation
- Räbenverkauf: Sa 31. Oktober 2026, 9–11 Uhr beim Restaurant «Schmitte da Nino». Essensbon-Vorverkauf 20.–30.10. in der Bibliothek Illnau (günstiger als vor Ort).
- Organiser
- Elternverein Illnau
At both meeting points there is singing before the start – with musical accompaniment by the SJMIE.
Everything on Illnau-Effretikon · Illnau →
Source: evillnau.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Assembly
- ab 18:00
- Start
- 18:15
- Meeting point
- Schulhaus Weierweid, Iberg (8405 Winterthur)
- Destination
- Freizeitanlage Chiesgrueb
- Food and drink
- Kürbissuppe und Wienerli am Ziel; für jedes Kind gibt es ein Wienerli gratis, warme Getränke vor Ort
- Preparation
- Gemeinsames Räbenschnitzen: Mi 4. November 2026, 14–16 Uhr, Freizeitanlage Chiesgrueb. Werkzeug und Räben sind vorhanden.
- Organiser
- Freiwillige aus dem Quartier Iberg
A leisurely loop through the neighbourhood, rounded off at the finish.
Everything on Winterthur · Iberg →
Source: raebeliechtli-iberg.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Assembly
- 18:15 (grosse Route) · 18:30 (kleine Route)
- Start
- 18:30–19:30
- Meeting point
- Grosse Route: MFO-Park · Kleine Route: Wiese beim Schulhaus Baumacker (neben dem GZ)
- Destination
- Liguster Sportplatz (Ankunft beider Gruppen ca. 19:30)
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Zürich-Oerlikon
Two routes at different paces: the long one is accompanied by drummers, the short one is for small children and opens with a song before setting off.
Everything on Zurich · Oerlikon →
Source: qv-oerlikon.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Start
- 19:00–20:00
- Meeting point
- Pausenplatz Schulhaus Scherr
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Oberstrass (QVO)
The latest start in the entire calendar: elsewhere the parades set off at 17:30 or 18:00, here only at 19:00 — the only one that steps off in full darkness.
Everything on Zurich · Oberstrass →
Source: qvo.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Start
- 18:00–22:00
- Meeting point
- Gruppe 1: Station Schweighof der Uetlibergbahn (18:00) · Gruppe 2: Kindergarten Im Rossweidli (18:00) · Gruppe 3: Schulhaus Bachtobel (18:10) · Gruppe 4: Brunnenplatz Adolf-Lüchinger-Strasse (18:10)
- Destination
- Friesenbergplatz
- Food and drink
- Festbetrieb auf dem Friesenbergplatz mit Grill, Suppe, heissen und kalten Getränken und Musik
- In bad weather
- Findet bei jeder Witterung statt. Fackeln sind nicht erlaubt.
- Preparation
- Ausgabe der Räben und Verzehrbons für Kinder: Do 5. November 2026, 17–19 Uhr, Friesenbergplatz vor dem Coop.
- Organiser
- Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürich (FGZ)
Four parades, one destination: a star march from four residential areas, each about half an hour on foot.
Everything on Zurich · Friesenberg →
Source: fgzzh.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Start
- 18:00
- Meeting point
- Wolfswinkel 9 · Kreuzung Bächlerstrasse / Hungerbergstrasse · Kirche Glaubten
- Destination
- Sportanlage Fronwald
- Food and drink
- Heisser Punsch und ein Weggen vom Quartierverein bei der Sportanlage Fronwald
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Zürich-Affoltern
Three parades, each accompanied by a music group.
Everything on Zurich · Affoltern →
Source: portal.zh-affoltern.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Start
- 18:00
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Zürich-Albisrieden
No shifting date: Albisrieden parades «always on the first Saturday in November» — in 2026 that falls on 7 November.
Everything on Zurich · Albisrieden →
Source: zuerich-albisrieden.ch · checked on 21 October 2026
- Assembly
- 17:45
- Start
- 18:00–18:45
- Meeting point
- Schulhaus Entlisberg (Moosstrasse)
- Destination
- Schulhaus Entlisberg (Rückkehr ca. 18:45)
- Food and drink
- Bretzeli und Tee für jedes Kind auf dem Pausenplatz
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Wollishofen
Route: Moosstrasse – Paradiesstrasse – Entlisbergstrasse – Lettenholzstrasse – back to the Entlisberg schoolhouse.
Everything on Zurich · Wollishofen →
Source: wollishofen-zh.ch · checked on 19 October 2026
- Start
- 18:15–20:00
- Meeting point
- Kürbergstrasse / Am Börtli (Besammlung 18:30, Abmarsch 18:45) · Segantinistrasse / Regensdorferstrasse (18:30 / 18:45) · Tramstation Frankental (18:15 / 18:30) · Schulhaus Rütihof (18:15 / 18:30) · Schulhaus Am Wasser (18:30 / 18:45)
- Destination
- Platz vor der reformierten Kirche Höngg
- Food and drink
- Jedes Kind, das mit einem Räbeliechtli mitläuft, erhält gratis einen frischen Weggen
- In bad weather
- Findet bei jeder Witterung statt.
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Zürich-Höngg
A star march with five parades, each led by a drummer; police and fire brigade secure the routes.
Everything on Zurich · Höngg →
Source: zuerich-hoengg.ch · checked on 5 October 2026
- Start
- 18:00
- Preparation
- Räbenverkauf: Sa 31. Oktober 2026, 9–16 Uhr.
- Organiser
- Arbeitsgruppe Räbechilbi, Verkehrs- und Verschönerungsverein Richterswil
Regarded as the world's largest turnip-lantern parade: around 40 floats, lasting about an hour.
Good to know- From 3 p.m. there are market stalls, open-air concerts and attractions in the old village centre.
- Come by S2 or S8 – the route runs right beside Richterswil station, and there is no parking.
- The festival badge at CHF 10.– or the plaque at CHF 15.– is compulsory – wearing it is required, sold for cash only.
Source: vvrs.ch · checked on 11 September 2026
The organiser states a fixed rule (since 1958, every year on the first Saturday in November) but no calendar date yet. The date shown is derived from that rule – it is not officially confirmed.
- Destination
- Dorfplatz Horgen
- Food and drink
- Heisse Wienerli und Semmeli für die Kinder auf dem Dorfplatz
- Organiser
- Pro Horgen
Route from Heubachstrasse via Zugerstrasse and Alte Landstrasse into the centre – unchanged since 1958.
Source: horgen.ch · checked on 19 October 2026
🕐 Start times — when it starts
7 of the 11 parades in the canton of Zurich move off at 18:00 — Zürich (Oberstrass) not until 19:00. The start time rarely appears in a calendar and almost always only on the association's own page; here each one stands as the organiser published it, with the assembly beforehand where it is named.
Start: 18:00–23:00
Start: 18:00
Start: 18:15
Start: 18:30–19:30
Start: 19:00–20:00
Start: 18:00–22:00
Start: 18:00
Start: 18:00
Start: 18:00–18:45
Start: 18:15–20:00
Start: 18:00
🏘️ 6 municipalities with organiser and date
7 of the 12 parades in the canton of Zurich take place in Zürich alone — the rest spread across 5 other municipalities. For 12 of them we keep a page of their own: route, turnip sale and weather rule.
- Wallisellen — Walliseller Räbenliechtliumzug, Verschönerungsverein Wallisellen (VVW), 30 October 2026.
- Illnau-Effretikon · Illnau — Illauer-Räbeliechtli-Umzug, Elternverein Illnau, 5 November 2026.
- Winterthur · Iberg — Räbeliechtli Umzug Iberg, Freiwillige aus dem Quartier Iberg, 6 November 2026.
- Zurich · Oerlikon — Oerliker Räbeliechtliumzug, Quartierverein Zürich-Oerlikon, 6 November 2026.
- Zurich · Oberstrass — Räbeliechtliumzug Oberstrass, Quartierverein Oberstrass (QVO), 6 November 2026.
- Zurich · Friesenberg — Räbeliechtli-Umzug Friesenberg (Sternmarsch), Familienheim-Genossenschaft Zürich (FGZ), 7 November 2026.
- Zurich · Affoltern — Räbeliechtli-Umzug Zürich-Affoltern, Quartierverein Zürich-Affoltern, 7 November 2026.
- Zurich · Albisrieden — Räbeliechtliumzug Albisrieden, Quartierverein Zürich-Albisrieden, 7 November 2026.
- Zurich · Wollishofen — Räbeliechtli-Umzug Wollishofen, Quartierverein Wollishofen, 7 November 2026.
- Zurich · Höngg — Räbeliechtli Umzug Höngg, Quartierverein Zürich-Höngg, 7 November 2026.
- Richterswil — Räbechilbi Richterswil, Arbeitsgruppe Räbechilbi, Verkehrs- und Verschönerungsverein Richterswil, 14 November 2026.
- Horgen — Räbeliechtli-Umzug Horgen, Pro Horgen, not published yet.
📍 Assembly points and destinations
Zürich (Höngg) has 5 assembly points for a single parade — wait at the wrong one and you chase your own procession. Hence every published point separately.
- Meeting point
- Zentrum Wallisellen
- Meeting point
- Unterillnau: Hagenstrasse vor dem Tageshort · Oberillnau: Gstückstrasse
- Destination
- Schule Illnau
- Assembly
- ab 18:00
- Meeting point
- Schulhaus Weierweid, Iberg (8405 Winterthur)
- Destination
- Freizeitanlage Chiesgrueb
- Assembly
- 18:15 (grosse Route) · 18:30 (kleine Route)
- Meeting point
- Grosse Route: MFO-Park · Kleine Route: Wiese beim Schulhaus Baumacker (neben dem GZ)
- Destination
- Liguster Sportplatz (Ankunft beider Gruppen ca. 19:30)
- Meeting point
- Pausenplatz Schulhaus Scherr
- Meeting point
- Gruppe 1: Station Schweighof der Uetlibergbahn (18:00) · Gruppe 2: Kindergarten Im Rossweidli (18:00) · Gruppe 3: Schulhaus Bachtobel (18:10) · Gruppe 4: Brunnenplatz Adolf-Lüchinger-Strasse (18:10)
- Destination
- Friesenbergplatz
- Meeting point
- Wolfswinkel 9 · Kreuzung Bächlerstrasse / Hungerbergstrasse · Kirche Glaubten
- Destination
- Sportanlage Fronwald
- Assembly
- 17:45
- Meeting point
- Schulhaus Entlisberg (Moosstrasse)
- Destination
- Schulhaus Entlisberg (Rückkehr ca. 18:45)
- Meeting point
- Kürbergstrasse / Am Börtli (Besammlung 18:30, Abmarsch 18:45) · Segantinistrasse / Regensdorferstrasse (18:30 / 18:45) · Tramstation Frankental (18:15 / 18:30) · Schulhaus Rütihof (18:15 / 18:30) · Schulhaus Am Wasser (18:30 / 18:45)
- Destination
- Platz vor der reformierten Kirche Höngg
- Destination
- Dorfplatz Horgen
🎒 Food and weather — what the societies announce
Punch and sausages at the finish, registration for turnip carving, and above all: does the society set off in the rain anyway? That is the question a family evening hangs on, and it appears on no aggregator page.
- Good to know
- The only large parade of the season that still falls in October rather than November. · According to the Verschönerungsverein, around 1,800 children take part on average. · After the parade, FC Wallisellen runs a refreshment stand in the multi-purpose hall.
- Food and drink
- Würstli, Suppe, Kuchen, Glühwein und Punsch bei der Schule
- Preparation
- Räbenverkauf: Sa 31. Oktober 2026, 9–11 Uhr beim Restaurant «Schmitte da Nino». Essensbon-Vorverkauf 20.–30.10. in der Bibliothek Illnau (günstiger als vor Ort).
- Food and drink
- Kürbissuppe und Wienerli am Ziel; für jedes Kind gibt es ein Wienerli gratis, warme Getränke vor Ort
- Preparation
- Gemeinsames Räbenschnitzen: Mi 4. November 2026, 14–16 Uhr, Freizeitanlage Chiesgrueb. Werkzeug und Räben sind vorhanden.
- Food and drink
- Festbetrieb auf dem Friesenbergplatz mit Grill, Suppe, heissen und kalten Getränken und Musik
- In bad weather
- Findet bei jeder Witterung statt. Fackeln sind nicht erlaubt.
- Preparation
- Ausgabe der Räben und Verzehrbons für Kinder: Do 5. November 2026, 17–19 Uhr, Friesenbergplatz vor dem Coop.
- Food and drink
- Heisser Punsch und ein Weggen vom Quartierverein bei der Sportanlage Fronwald
- Food and drink
- Bretzeli und Tee für jedes Kind auf dem Pausenplatz
- Food and drink
- Jedes Kind, das mit einem Räbeliechtli mitläuft, erhält gratis einen frischen Weggen
- In bad weather
- Findet bei jeder Witterung statt.
- Good to know
- From 3 p.m. there are market stalls, open-air concerts and attractions in the old village centre. · Come by S2 or S8 – the route runs right beside Richterswil station, and there is no parking. · The festival badge at CHF 10.– or the plaque at CHF 15.– is compulsory – wearing it is required, sold for cash only.
- Preparation
- Räbenverkauf: Sa 31. Oktober 2026, 9–16 Uhr.
- Food and drink
- Heisse Wienerli und Semmeli für die Kinder auf dem Dorfplatz
🔀 5 date patterns across the municipalities
6 of the 11 documented parades in the canton of Zurich start on a Saturday, the rest on 2 other weekdays — there is no «Räbeliechtli day» here either. Setting off on the same evening is not setting off together — it is competing. 5 of the 6 municipalities in the canton of Zurich hold a date nobody else holds; the rest share theirs. Computed from the documented dates, not estimated.
📊 Season comparison across the canton
Every documented parade in the canton of Zurich fits into 16 days: from Wallisellen on Friday, 30 October 2026 to Richterswil on 14 November 2026. The bar shows which evenings get crowded — and which stay empty.
📭 1 date open — and why they stay listed
1 parade in the canton of Zurich has no published 2026 date yet — and stays listed anyway, marked open instead of filled in from last year. We write no date we have not read at the source; the gap is information in itself.
- Horgen — Saturday, 7 November 2026 · calculated from the fixed rule — since 1958, every year on the first Saturday in November. Source
🗺️ 3 cantons compared
52% of all parades we verified across Switzerland fall in the canton of Zurich: 12 of 23. The table sets it beside the other 2 cantons with a page of their own — and shows where the calendar grows next.
For the canton of Zurich we hold 12 events in 6 municipalities, 11 of them with a 2026 date confirmed by the organiser. The rest are deliberately listed without a date: the event usually takes place, the date has not been published yet. We write no date we have not read at the source.
❓ Common questions about the canton
Short and sourced: every answer is calculated from the 12 checked entries for the canton of Zurich, not estimated.
All Räbeliechtli parades in Switzerland
🗓️ At the same time in the canton of Zurich
How we check
Every date comes from the organiser's, the municipality's or the canton's own site — never from an aggregator, never copied over from last year. Next to each source is the date we last read it.
Where only a fixed rule is published, we work out the date and label it “calculated from the fixed rule”.
Something missing or changed? A note below is enough; we check it at the source.
ConvivaPlus Editor · Family & Day Trips
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