Fairs and exhibitions Central

The Christmas Village installs its magic for 16 days at the foot of the cathedral. About fifty wooden chalets, decorated and illuminated, await visitors. It offers everything you need to celebrate Christmas: decorations, traditional dishes or sweet treats always welcome. You can also find original gifts. Artists and craftsmen exhibit their creations. Children can of course meet Santa Claus. The tradition is respected with the ice rink and the choirs. Everyone enjoys strolling around in this very special atmosphere!

For shopping and bargain-seekers alike, this is a day not to be missed. For one long Sunday, retailers take to the streets, unpacking their stock and selling off their wares! To avoid the crowds, especially on Rue Nationale and Rue de Bordeaux, it's best to get up early. Don't worry, though, there are plenty of other small, more breathable streets in the city where you can find bargains here and there. Avenue de Grammont and Rue Charles Gilles are home to a friendly garage sale, while boulevard Heurteloup is home to a number of gastronomic stalls!

On Saint Anne's Day (July 26), the old town smells of garlic and basil. The event is said to have originated in the Middle Ages. Fans of unusual strolls, gardeners and budding cooks take advantage of the opportunity to stroll through the old town of Tours on this day! The Place de la Victoire, the Place and Rue Châteauneuf and the Rue du Grand-Marché are transformed into a large market where all varieties of these two products are present. And all around, in the Halles and rue Courteline, you can find second-hand goods dealers, artists and craftsmen, as well as various delicacies.

In addition to illuminating its streets with Christmas colors to transport passers-by into a festive universe, the city of Tours also has its Christmas market. Since 1998, the chalets have been set up in Place de la Gare and on Boulevard Heurteloup. With the new municipality (and the covid), the market is expanding! In 2021, we could discover craftsmen and traders in front of the cathedral, on Place de la Résistance and on Place Anatole France. Jewelry, local products, sweets, mulled wine and handicrafts are on the agenda. And for a nice souvenir with the family, you can take a picture with Santa Claus or take advantage of the outdoor skating rink, the big wheel and the rides.

Over the years, craftsmen have become indispensable. Organised in Chartrexpo, this exhibition allows everyone to discover the know-how of French craftsmen, who work in the fields of building, automobile, decoration, fashion and gastronomy… It's a marathon waiting for you if you want to see everything, but you won't be disappointed, and will probably quit with ideas full of the head and gifts and full food!

Every year, the associations come back, and for the occasion they recruit! Dozens of stands bloom on the boulevard de la Courtille in Place Châtelet, passing through the square of the Epars, and so you can walk in search of a leisure for the coming year. To seduce you, the associations are not sowing on the means: many demonstrations are changing the day, and you are sometimes invited to participate, or simply to chat with the members of each association. This forum is essential to find an activity at its foot and take its foot throughout the year.

With more than 160 exhibitors and nearly 22,000 visitors, this renowned fair is a unique place to appreciate the quality of local, regional and national productions and to shop. You will find all the culinary, gastronomic and artisanal expressions. A competition rewards the best products and new in 2021: "The Brewers' Village", a space that offers an educational and tasting discovery of the brewers' world.

The Foire aux Sorciers has been held in Bué since 1946. It combines the celebration of wine produced in the Sancerre region with the history of local witchcraft. This part of the Sancerre region was marked during the Renaissance by a major witchcraft trial, that of the Carroi de Marloup (the proceedings of which have been preserved). Since 2008, the festival has been held on Saturday evening. People come in costume as witches, birettes, ghosts or devils. The festive evening begins with a meal and witch stories, followed by a country ball and fireworks.