The best parties France

The Compagnie des Archers du Papogay was founded in 1585. Since then, the tradition of Papogay shooting has remained alive and well in the town of Rieux-Volvestre. The festivities include three days of serenades, with a ball, a medieval show, a royal parade, folk dances and, of course, Papogay shooting: with a bow or crossbow, you aim at a target represented by a wooden bird, perched at the end of a pole, called the Papogay. A picturesque event not to be missed, which puts tradition in the spotlight!

Free entertainment and shows, from Wednesday to Sunday, on the 3 squares in the heart of the Chaurienne city, await you. A celebration of sharing since 1999, the traditional recipe is served at all hours by the restaurants, gourmet market, brass bands, children's village, parade of floats, water jousting on the Canal du Midi, concerts make this popular event a must. No less than 60,000 people dressed in blue and white in the colours of the city meet in the world capital of cassoulet for this occasion.

First Sunday in September, blessing of the sea. It is better to reserve his place. The bouquet offered to the sea always includes a few fig branches, the tree tree.

The figure of the high mountain guide has been mythical since 1821, when the Compagnie des Guides de Chamonix was created. Created in 1924, the relief fund helps guides and their families. To feed it and to honour its famous guides, the Company of the guides created the Festival of the guides: all the valley of Chamonix Mont-Blanc pays a tribute to them during 4 days of festivals and songs. On August 15th, the guides parade in the costume worn by Jacques Balmat in 1786 during the first ascent of Mont Blanc.

Organized by the Young Farmers of the Tarn, this great event honors all the productions of the soil. Every year, on the first Friday and Saturday of August, more than 10,000 gourmets gather to celebrate the Lautrécoise tradition. On the programme: a professional market, tastings and exhibitions, but also folk dancing, a competition for the best garlic tart, a pink garlic walk, a treasure hunt and various activities for children, not forgetting a big dance. A popular and joyful festival that will delight the eyes and the taste buds.

The Glorieuses de Bresse will celebrate their 150 years in 2012. In fact, since 1862, at Christmas, Bourg-en-Bresse (on 14 December), Louhans (15 December), Pont-de-Vaux (16) and Montrevel (18) welcome the most beautiful poultry in Bresse. Turkey, capons, poulardes, plucked chickens, rolled, restricted and moulded into a vegetable canvas according to ancestral know-how, all the fine flower of Bresse's production - world AOC - is exposed and then put on sale after the competition under the covered market. Professionals, restaurateurs and personalities meet to reward the know-how of the bressans breeders, crowned by the restoration of a vase of Sèvres offered by the President of the Republic.

The tourist office offers guided tours of the poultry competition between a. m. and p. m. at 3 €. It is advisable to reserve 04 74 22 49 40.

The carnival is the subject of special attention in Saint-Macaire. After a long tour of the city followed by his costumed faithful and after some cultural activities, Mr. Carnival, no matter how large, is tried and burned on the square of the Mercadiou. A fire not like others with fireworks and other pyrotechniques effects. Meals and costume ball follow. Information: 05 56 63 32 14.

Organised by the association Les Amis du Four du Mitan, this animation celebrates bread, with demonstration of wheat pressing, blessing of breads, tastings and sales of local products, Provençal meals, in a mood of the beginning of the century, with groups of traditional costumes.

Mange Lille! brings together chefs, producers and artisans with a common goal: to promote gastronomy by showcasing Lille's culinary talents through a variety of events. From cooking competitions to tastings, themed evenings and other activities, the collective promotes the region's rich but little-known terroir. This unique local project gives as many people as possible the opportunity to discover new, accessible and up-to-the-minute addresses, brilliantly run by a host of inspired young chefs.

Go back in time and dive into the heart of another era: the Middle Ages. Every spring, the Remois pay tribute to Joan of Arc who succeeded in leading Charles VII to Reims so that he could be sacred in the cathedral. Over the course of a weekend, the Cité des Sacres returns to its former costumes and customs and offers you an exceptional programme: pyrotechnic shows, sounds and lights, concerts, falconry, fire-eaters, jugglers... not to mention the medieval village, with its camps and market and the torchlight parade of Jeanne in armour.

At the initiative of the Fédération des Syndicats de producteurs de l'appellation Châteauneuf-du-Pape, this wine fair is organised every spring in April. There are 80 to 85 estates of the appellation, we discover the great diversity of Châteauneuf wines. Thematic workshops to perfect your knowledge of wine are organized within the show. The 11th edition will be held at the beginning of April!

The Arras Christmas market, which takes place in the prestigious setting of the Grand-Place, has become, over the years, one of the most important markets north of Paris and the largest in the region! With more than a hundred exhibitors, it is the equivalent of a new pedestrian district entirely dedicated to the preparation of Christmas Eve that rolls out its red carpet to visitors. The Christmas market is centered on tradition and the quality of the products sold: designer jewelry, accessories, handicrafts, ethnic gifts, gastronomic specialties... Children and adults can go on the skating rink, take a ride on the carousel, try out the Ferris wheel or take part in one of the many activities organized for the occasion... Not to be missed to fully enter this magical period of Advent!

After Paris Beach, Niort Beach starts at summer time. Since 2006, the municipal sports service, the tourist office, the agglomeration community and the Niortaises associations have been mobilizing all summer to animate the Pre Leroy. Sports, cultural and leisure activities are open to all, children, adolescents and adults. They are also proposed to children of leisure centres on reserved slots. To choose: archery, bicross, beach volleyball, sandball, trampoline, taekwondo, fencing and acrobatic parcours through the poplar and chestnut trees of the park… and as any good beach that respects: it's free!

Every year, the Esplanade Charles de Gaulle fills up with wine lovers during the last weekend of November, the last month of the harvest. Montpellier celebrates the vine and wine with passion, on Fridays and Saturdays, and welcomes a wine-growing village where you are sure to find one of the agricultural wonders that make the wines of Occitania! Filled with sugar and gilded by the sun, the winegrowers select their grape varieties and always strive to live from their passion for wine while drawing quality wine production from the land. During these 2 days, you will benefit from conferences, blind tastings, wine bar, musical entertainment.

And on Sundays, the festival continues in the cellars and estates of the Montpellier area with tastings. Over the last few years, the events have brought together more than 125,000 people at each party!

A large-scale show... Not to be confused with the "Pesage", a more technical event. The "Grande Parade" has a very heroic feel to it, presenting the first protagonists of the legendary 24-hourendurance race. At previous editions, we were able to get up close to champions with impressive track records. Tom Christensen, for example, is still the stuff of dreams, with seven victories to his name. Specialists such as Henri Pescarolo, Graham Hill and Mario Andretti have also previously taken part. More recently, Jacques Villeneuve, Sébastien Bourdais and Sébastien Loeb took part in the exhibition. There's something exciting about being able to get up close and personal with all these people. A standing ovation is given at every turn. The parade also celebrates three drivers in particular, who are presented with a trophy: the one who takes pole position in qualifying, the one who achieves the best lap time and the inevitable "Rookie", i.e. the competitor discovering the Le Mans scene for the very first time. This event is truly unique. Jubilant effects in store!

With between 20 and 25 exhibitors each year, this rendezvous is a celebration in a very rustic atmosphere, in an extraordinary setting, close to a water mill that houses a fish farm. It is possible to organise a picnic on the spot all day long. So it is recommended to come with his basket under his arm, to make the full range of products from the region: Gâtinais cider and wines from Giennois, cold meats, cheeses, seasonal fruit, with some producers who propose a few'extra ', foie gras or ostrich-steak without forgetting a trout you can fish yourself. 

It's THE must-see event of the summer in Issoire! Every Friday evening (note the pun), the city center comes alive with free events and activities: night markets, concerts, outdoor film screenings, DJ sets, demonstrations... There is something for everyone! Each Friday evening has its own theme: family, sports, animals, world flavors, Auvergne day... For the occasion, some streets and boulevards become entirely pedestrian, allowing restaurants to extend their terraces. Convivial and festive!

During the tourist season, the 3 Cités des Climats of Beaune, Chablis and Mâcon organize several hundred events in parallel with their tours. Nocturnes, exhibitions, round-table discussions, workshops and tasting courses, to be discovered on the website dedicated to the 3 sites.

In 2024, the fortress will be celebrating 29 years of festivities! Entertainment resonates in the main courtyard, music fills the air, swords clash and taverns pour the precious brew. Caught up in this whirlwind of time, you're plunged into a unique adventure. Stroll through the stalls and encampments, appreciate the meticulous work of the craftsmen. you'll be joined by 10,000 other visitors for an unforgettable experience. And don't forget, during the festival, there's always the chance to visit the castle!

The Science Festival is a free national event. In St-Etienne, many activities, meetings and conferences are planned. Have you always wanted to know what nanoparticles are, practice virtual reality, know about reliable science YouTube channels? For a week, science is used to allow you to discover its contributions to our society and to approach science in a way that makes it closer and more accessible to all. So go to the planetarium, to the Ecole des Mines... there is something for everyone, young and old! Many activities are planned for children, even very young ones, to awaken them from an early age!

It's the traditional balloon festival on the occasion of the first flight on June 4, 1783. In the sky of the city of two great inventors Etienne and Joseph de Montgolfier, a colorful spectacle of about fifty balloons. On Sunday morning, historic rebuilding of the first balloon flight. In the afternoon the baptism of balloons, demonstration and troubles animations. An entirely festive appointment, Anime Anime, which has come to the shores and to the people who have been in the air sports. 

This festival combines wine tasting with a musical concert in exceptional places. For its 11th edition, sixty concerts are scheduled in forty prestigious estates, from the Var to the Aix region, including the castles of Fonscolombe, Beaupré, Seuil or La Gaude and even in the Luberon. The musical program is eclectic, always of high quality and often the occasion of beautiful surprises, from jazz to classical music through world music. Installed in comfortable deckchairs, you can dream under a starry sky.

Every year, as the end of the year approaches, tourists and Parisians alike come to admire the Christmas illuminations, especially those on the Champs-Elysées. They brave the cold and stroll between Place de la Concorde and the Arc de Triomphe. The program features enchanting colors, luminous arches, multicolored bulbs, glowing flames and sparkling projections. The enchantment begins in November and lasts until early January.

Would you like to spend a weekend in the Middle Ages? The town of Laon invites you to take a delightful trip back in time to the heart of the medieval city. The setting of the upper town is obviously ideal for this journey back in time. The numerous free events are sure to keep the public on their toes. Children love to try their hand at archery, watch the knights or play traditional Picardy games. The street shows and medieval market are a big hit with everyone. A recommended family outing.

It is the rendezvous of the greedy people who give their hearts to their hearts for a weekend in Angoulême. In fact, the Gastronomades bring together all the actors from the field of the field to the plate, from the producer to the cook, offering festive animations such as cookery courses or culinary contests. !!