Traditional festivals folklore and fairs France

Organized by the Comité des fêtes de Mirepoix, the bandas festival and its travelling brass bands bring this pretty historic town to life in June. Percussions and bass drums echo through the streets, while young and old dance to the sound of trumpets. Throughout the evening, five bandas will parade around the cafés and the Place du Maréchal Leclerc, bringing joy and good humor to all. For one of the highlights of the summer, get together with family and friends to enjoy these festive musical events!

Transhumance, from the Latin "trans" (beyond) and "humus" (earth, country), is the summer migration of herds to richer, greener lands, such as the Pyrenean estives. Every year, a major pastoral festival is held here, where you too can accompany the herds of sheep, cows and horses through the mountain villages. Your journey will be littered with entertainment, traditional meals and folk shows. An unforgettable experience immersed in the traditions of the Ariège!

Dive back in time and discover Montséret in the Middle Ages for a day! Rent a costume on site and immerse yourself among the villagers to enjoy a wide range of activities that will delight young and old alike: armory stands at the encampment of the medieval troupe La Garde de l'Alaric, combat demonstrations and initiation, storytelling, exhibitions, wooden games, old-time craftsman stands, calligraphy initiation, donkey rides... Total immersion guaranteed!

This family festival in Saint-Jean-du-Gard brings together lovers of traditional music and dance. In front of the stage, you can join the ball and waltz to your heart's content, accompanied by an orchestra. In the village, there's plenty to do: music and dance workshops, a luthiers' fair (the largest exhibition of instrument makers in the south of France), conferences, musical street walks, concerts... A truly festive weekend!

In the Hérault region of France, this original event puts fougasse in the spotlight! You know, that southern bread with its soft crust and thick, chewy crumb. For two days, you can dance the baleti, jump over the Saint-Jean fire to the beat of the drums, sing and enjoy an aperitif at the concerts, learn how to make your own fougasse... The collective organizers invite you to come and enjoy some fatty fougasse, then burn off a few calories while enjoying this crazy, extravagant but fantastic program!

In the Lot region, the annual fête votive takes place in mid-July. First come the aubades to the locals, then the festive entertainment for young and old: a convivial aperitif, waltzes, bourrées and farandoles at the traditional ball, games and funfair, gourmet market, concert by a local band, fireworks... Three days of festivities in one of France's most beautiful villages!

Organized by the Aquí l'Òc association, the Festival Escambis ("exchanges" in Occitan) aims to facilitate encounters by appealing to a wide audience, even those who don't speak Occitan! This original festival promotes cultural diversity in a friendly, festive atmosphere, in convivéncia, the art of living together. You'll be able to enjoy a wide-ranging program, accessible to all, in fields as diverse as music, song, dance, crafts, sport, literature, theater, storytelling...

Every summer, this magnificent medieval bastide hosts a 4-day local festival. After the presentation of the keys to the town, a grand aperitif is held, followed by a country dance demonstration, a night hike and a musical meal. The rest of the weekend is just as lively: numerous traditional meals and barbecues, pétanque competitions, children's games and funfair, landaise race and disco ball. A program rich in color, emotion and conviviality, not to be missed!

For a colorful, family-friendly festival, come to Uzès at the beginning of August! Numerous festive events will delight young and old for 4 days: pétanque, fishing and belote competitions, manades competitions, cycling grand prix, pégoulades, street concerts, bodegas, parades, traditional meals, electro parties and open-air dances... The festive weekend culminates in a grand mayor's dinner with live music, and an evening at the Uzès arena with the traditional bullfighting pool. Sensational!

In the Gard region, Garons town council joins forces with Le Mistral bullfighting club to offer a wide range of events for the fête votive at the end of June. It's an opportunity to get together with family and friends for a weekend of festive entertainment. The festivities kick off with the pégoulade (opening parade of the féria with floats) and continue with free olympiads, traditional meals, bandas and peña entertainment, the famous swimming pool bull show, aperitifs and concerts. An unmissable event!

The village of Prats de Mollo la Preste is every year the theater of a traditional and singular carnival. To celebrate the imminent return of spring, the villagers disguise themselves as bears, the emblematic animal of the region. They put on a sheepskin and cover themselves with soot. Armed with clubs, these bears start a wild saraband and lead in a crazy farandole. Three days of carnival festivities including the parade of the Carnival Majesties.

On the^1st weekend of July, the Escota é Minja association ("listen and eat", in Occitan) has a motto: amortis la television, bèu un còp e bolèga-te! ("turn off the TV, have a drink and get moving!"). It's more than just a festival, it's an annual event that promotes Occitan culture, intergenerational links and the art of living, gastronomy and sustainable development. For two days, you can enjoy free concerts for young and old, as well as traditional and contemporary music in a festive and convivial atmosphere.

In the mountains of the Val d'Azun, the En Cadence association organizes this annual festival of traditional music and dance. Locals and lovers of Occitan culture come together for this event, for various music and dance workshops and courses, but above all for the ball! Over the course of several days, you'll sing, dance, enjoy exhibitions of lutherie and instrument making, a storytelling stroll, bowling demonstrations and a local producers' market. A total immersion in local culture!

In the small Ariège village of Saurat, the Festen'Oc festival aims to be a warm and festive showcase for Occitan culture. Four days to discover or rediscover this culture in all its forms, thanks to a full program: traditional ball, aperitifs and local meals, conferences, street music, book and old games fair, traditional market, dance courses, singing workshops, film screenings in Occitan, theater... Conviviality, good humor and tradition are the order of the day!

Every summer, the Trad'Estiu association organizes its festival of the same name. With the aim of promoting and perpetuating Occitan culture and traditions, the collective organizes events for young and old alike. For 4 days, the town of Foix comes alive with trad'apéros, free trad' balls with Occitan orchestras, wooden games, traditional dance shows... And to immerse yourself even further, you can also enjoy a play in Occitan with French subtitles, and a tour of Foix in Occitan!

This medieval festival takes place on the ^3rd Sunday in May, every year. The upper city of Liverdun becomes festive to the rhythm of musicians and numerous exhibitors. More than 500 people walk around in costumes and multiple workshops to introduce them to the crafts of yesteryear are offered. The Middle Ages as if you were there, a exotic event, much appreciated by an audience of all generations.

A family and friendly celebration for the whole family. The swimming festival in Valleroy is two full days of celebration with many activities: booths of the all-purpose type, tattoos for children, a Saint-Jean fireworks display, a ball, rides for children. A large flea market is also organized for the occasion. An important event in and around Valleroy. If the weather is good, you will have a great time filled with joy and laughter.

More than 30,000 fresh snails are tasted each year at the famous Gastropod Festival, which delights gourmets. The festival is also an opportunity to discover, in the heart of the Lorraine Regional Park, a local speciality: snails prepared à la Thiaucourt, an original recipe that can be found in Lorraine cookbooks. Many exhibitors also present local products and crafts. Dance orchestra, entertainment and games on a podium, brass band, street sale: the day is rich in festivities and will end at night under the fireworks.

To celebrate the AOC of Toulois, the first grape harvest festival takes place on the first weekend of September 2008 in the winegrowers' villages. The tradition has continued every year since and is a great success with locals and tourists who come for the occasion. In 2018, the AOC celebrated its 20th anniversary! With an annual production of around 500 000 bottles, the vineyards of Toul and the surrounding area are constantly developing and working on its quality.

The Lavender Festival has been reviving Quercy lavender since 2018, and has enabled the village of Martel and the surrounding area to see new lavender growers set up shop. Breathe in these voluptuous scents through the streets all weekend long! You'll be able to take part in a wide range of workshops on picking, distilling and collective planting of lavender. You can also enjoy a natural market with local producers or a musical aperitif!

in Metz. Evéne was waiting for the mosellans with the election of the miss, the corso fleuri and the great fireworks in addition to various events throughout the city. For more information

The Transhumance festival brings life to the small village of Seix in June. You too can accompany the herds (sheep, cattle, horses, Mérens) into the mountains on five different itineraries during this traditional rendezvous. Don't miss one of the highlights of the weekend in the heart of the village: the Grand Parade of the herds, with bandas and folk groups. And to round off the day, join in the Shepherds' Meal with live music!

Cubières-sur-Cinoble takes you back to the 1900s for a day. You'll be able to retrace the lives of your grandparents and great-grandparents, as they lived through the 4 seasons, with demonstrations and activities based on working the land. The villagers invite you to come and discover the prowess of the trades of yesteryear: pen-and-ink writing, vintage vehicles, clog-makers, bakers, mills, hooping, wheat threshing, washerwomen... a veritable open-air museum, accompanied by entertainment, a festive meal and a traditional dance.

Firmly rooted in the traditions of Vallespir, this festival attracts a crazy world every year. In the pagan ritual of the passage from winter to spring, two men dressed as bears enter the village, chasing onlookers and terrorizing young girls. The hunters then organize a hunt and the chase begins through the streets of the village until the final capture and the mock execution... while the crowd celebrates and dances. Unique and fantastic!

The Jurade, Saint-Émilion's wine brotherhood, traces its origins back to 1199. After falling into oblivion, the brotherhood was revived in 1948 by a handful of winegrowers and became the ambassador of Saint-Émilion wines. Every September, the brotherhood organizes the Ban des vendanges from the top of the Tour du Roy. The city then sees the jurats parade past in their ancestral red robes, and witnesses the enthronement of celebrities in the collegiate church. A great moment in the life of Saint-Émilion.

This day gives you the opportunity to rediscover the marks of the past with animations and dedémonstrations the gestures of the harvest. The visitor can better understand haying, ploughing and seedlings… This feast fits well on many stands of local artisans and producers. Local or regional artisans and producers are present to make you taste their specialities: charcuterie, cheese, wine, champagne, spices, preserves, foie gras, snails… Artisans of art also expose their works: wooden control, sculptor, potter, jeweller. A friendly atmosphere.

Welcome to medieval festivities in Colmars! Set in a magnificent setting of ancient stones steeped in history, the weekend features a wide range of events: music concerts, horse and bird of prey shows, medieval meals, lectures, old trades, battles, old-fashioned flag-throwing... Large craftsmen's market in the town squares. And if you'd like to join in the fun, rent a costume. Days rich in learning and contemplation, both visual and auditory!

This is one of the most beautiful traditional festivals in France! Organised by the association "The Circle of Peillasque Union", the festivities allow to share and make known the strong times of the lives of the inhabitants of yesteryear, very marked by the succession of harvests and thus seasons: the villagers and the exhibitors are doing so, the time of a weekend, to revive the actions of their elders, perpetuating the traditions of wheat and lavender cutting which make the village originality. The atmosphere is at the heart of joy and conviviality. Moreover, all those who wanted it can participate in the cuts.

In Castelnau-Barbarens, we always look forward to the famous Rondèu de Castelnau, which brings Gascon music performances to the medieval streets around the church, as well as balls and meals where everyone gathers in contagious good spirits! The festival puts regional culture in the spotlight, with traditional dance and music workshops, dance demonstrations and concerts by local groups. Get ready for a great time of conviviality, culture and joie de vivre!

The time of a week-end, the whole city returned more than four centuries back, to pay tribute to Henri IV, the only king of France to have been crowned in Chartres in 1594. In his honour, therefore, the hen is placed on the menu at all participating restaurants; and above all, the city heart beats at the pace of various animations and festivities. On this occasion, the tourist office proposes a diving in the history of Chartres, through a guided tour.

The crazy atmosphere of the beer festival is guaranteed in this commune near Strasbourg. The animation is ensured by an orchestra which is present during the two evenings. The team is well established, as it is already the 6th edition which is being played in Eschau. And it's best to plan the evening in advance, as the event is always sold out on both evenings. Music, beer, dancers, lots of surprises and above all a great atmosphere... If you don't like the sauerkraut (served with advance booking), you can always enjoy the small catering service on site. A party not to be missed, in the Alsatian tradition and the commitment to spend a good evening.

In February of each year, 3 Catalan villages in the Pyrénées-Orientales region celebrate a very old carnival festival, which has now become a traditional festival: the Bear Festival. The origin of these festivities lies in the legend of a ferocious bear who, in search of a mate, decides to kidnap a local girl. In Arles-sur-Tech, Prats-de-Mollo-La-Preste and Saint-Laurent-de-Cerdans, you'll have the chance to attend a unique, festive and transgressive event in the heart of the Catalan countryside, where you can rediscover local customs such as the sardana.

Wood carving has always played an important role in Bessans. For two days, local artisans from Maurienne and France present their works and know-how at the 19 ^th meeting of wood sculptors and artisans. No doubt you will hear about Bessans's devil legend. This feast reminds us of the important crafts of yesteryear, which occupied the long winter nights.

The place Charles-Dullin in the centre of the small town of Yenne becomes the time of one afternoon a large playground for your children: many diverstissements and creative workshops promise pleasant moments to share with family! Games of building, address, reflection, to do in solo or team, a very tight time for children, etc. Even if parents help or blow the answers.

Thanks to the Valmeinier Heritage Association, several monuments such as the Moulin aux Grands Côtes and chapels in the hamlets have been renovated. On the occasion of the employers'celebration on 11 August, the association will celebrate its 10 years around the church 1500 with a mass, a traditional meal, a presentation of the country's costumes and local crafts… The volunteers of the association, the inhabitants of Valmeinier, remain committed to their history, tradition and environment; They invite you to discover local gastronomy through built heritage, crafts and meeting with animals. They tell many stories and stories.