Turnip lantern parades in the canton of Zurich, 2026
Nowhere in Switzerland starts earlier: Wallisellen opens on Friday, 30 October.
✓ Checked at the source · as of 5 October 2026 · 1 date still to come
Turnip lantern parades in the canton of Zurich
12 places, each with dates and a checked source
📅 12 parades 2026 with date and start time
7 of the canton's 12 turnip lantern parades are in Zurich alone.
- Start
- 18:00–23:00
- Meeting point
- Zentrum Wallisellen
- Organiser
- Verschönerungsverein Wallisellen (VVW)
According to the ConvivaPlus survey, the second-largest Räbeliechtli parade in the canton of Zurich – and it only takes place every two years.
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 6 September 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 6 September 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 6 September 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 6 September 2026
- Start
- 19:00–20:00
- Meeting point
- Pausenplatz Schulhaus Scherr
- Organiser
- Quartierverein Oberstrass (QVO)
The latest start in the entire survey: 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 9 September 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 6 September 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 6 September 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 6 September 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.
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 5 October 2026
The event usually takes place, but the date has not been published yet. We keep checking. The neighbourhood association writes, verbatim, «Der Räbeliechtliumzug 2026 findet am Anfang November 2026 statt» (early November 2026) – without a specific date.
- 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 5 October 2026
🕐 Start times — when it starts
6 of the 10 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: 18:15–20:00
Start: 18:00
Start: 18:00–18:45
🏘️ 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 · 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.
- Zurich · Wollishofen — Räbeliechtli-Umzug Wollishofen, Quartierverein Wollishofen, 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
- 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
- Assembly
- 17:45
- Meeting point
- Schulhaus Entlisberg (Moosstrasse)
- Destination
- Schulhaus Entlisberg (Rückkehr ca. 18:45)
🎒 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
- 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
- Food and drink
- Bretzeli und Tee für jedes Kind auf dem Pausenplatz
🔀 5 date patterns across the municipalities
5 of the 10 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.
📭 2 dates open — and why they stay listed
2 parades in the canton of Zurich have no published 2026 date yet — and stay 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
- Zurich · Wollishofen — not published yet — The neighbourhood association writes, verbatim, «Der Räbeliechtliumzug 2026 findet am Anfang November 2026 statt» (early November 2026) – without a specific date.. Source
🗺️ 3 cantons compared
55% of all parades we verified across Switzerland fall in the canton of Zurich: 12 of 22. The table sets it beside the other 2 cantons with a page of their own — and shows where the survey grows next.
For the canton of Zurich we hold 12 events in 6 municipalities, 10 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
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, such as the eve of St Nicholas' Day, we work out the date and label it “calculated from the fixed rule”. Anything not yet published stays open — we don't guess.
Something missing or changed? A note below is enough; we check it at the source.
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