The best parties Midi-Pyrénées

Every summer, in August, the charming village of Fleury d'Aude organizes its festejades, three days of popular festivities punctuated by numerous animations. Free of charge, the event is organized around several concerts. In recent years, the streets of the town have resounded to the rhythm of the songs of the Négresses vertes, Alpha Blondy, Sergent Garcia, Amir or Lio. An impressive program that attracts every year a large number of holidaymakers and locals. Atmosphere guaranteed!

The original idea of the friendship of the traders and craftsmen of the village is, now, a tradition attracting every Easter Monday from thousands of curious (and greedy). Made in a frying pan with huge proportions, it is accompanied by loaves of giant bread, some 15 000 eggs and, above all, a huge mood. An event not to be missed, to spend a good time and enjoy your family!

At the height of summer, Beaumont-de-Lomagne celebrates white garlic in style! Numerous garlic producers gather to share their passion and know-how with gourmets. On the program: the sale of white garlic in all its forms, in bulk, in baskets, in braids..., and a host of events including competitions, culinary workshops for youngsters, exhibitions and sales of local and artisanal products, children's games and, of course, a gourmet meal! A popular festival not to be missed!

It was at the foot of the town Angonia that, according to legend, a battle was fought where Christian and Saracens fought. Vidian, the leader of Christian troops lost his life as well as several of his companions. Every year since the middle of the th century, this episode is commemorated in a solemn ceremony where the Martrais dressed in colourful costumes make thanks to their Patron Saint and reconstruct the battle.

50 000 chocolate eggs are hidden in box gardens… Don't miss it!

Every year since 1992, the first weekend in August, from Thursday to Sunday, has been a joyous and convivial occasion to celebrate rural traditions, farm life and ancestral know-how, attracting several thousand people each year. A parade through the streets, a traditional dance, a craft market and a gourmet market. Everything is done to amaze the palates of even the most discerning gourmets. More than 700 volunteers take part with a large parade, tractors, cows and sheep, bringing to life the Couserans of yesteryear.

St. Pierre's Day is celebrated in Gruissan at the height of the summer solstice. This religious festival is a tribute by fishermen to Saint Pierre. This return to our roots is formalized by a procession of fishermen carrying the statue of their patron saint through the streets, followed by judges in black togas, the Prud'homie in a gold hat, assessors in silver hats and the small Gruissan orchestra. After the mass, the event took on a more festive aspect, with offerings, songs, wreaths thrown into the sea... ending with a ball and orchestra.

Since 1979, the Centre Culturel Occitan d'Albi has been organizing La Janada, the traditional St. John's Day festival celebrating the end of the harvest. The festive gathering takes place on Place Sainte-Cécile, and includes a farandole in the streets, a children's ball, a market, a concert... Then finally arrives the procession of Occitan schoolchildren with their torches to light the fire, around which the crowd dances to end the evening!

This traditional festival celebrates cows returning to their beautiful plateau. Over the years, this custom has become a real festival, to which the general public is invited to attend the parade of cows decorated by their breeders. The spectacle of the passing herds is accompanied by a host of events, including a local market, folk dances and gigantic meals featuring Aubrac specialities such as aligot, beef and Laguiole cheese... Pure passion and tradition!

How to combine greed, tradition and sportsmanship? By participating in the Davalda! Over a weekend, it's a great hike, both sportive and greedy, which is organized in Argences en Aubrac. Over twenty kilometers, from burons to burons, the participants cross the pastures and the striking landscapes of Aubrac. After the effort, the comfort: in each of the burons present on the way, you will discover the products of the local soil. Friendly moments that continue until the finish line where a producers' market awaits you!

Breeders and professionals of the Aubrac cattle breed have chosen Laguiole to meet and present the quality labels and channels "Boeufs Fermier Race Aubrac Label Rouge", "Fleur d'Aubrac IGP" and "Animaux Bio de race Aubrac". Under a big top, the new "foirail" will host 220 animals on display. On Sunday, a parade of animals in the streets of the village, decorated with the colors of the festival, attracts the attention of visitors. The oxen will also be blessed!

Pézenas' patron saint, Saint Blaise, is widely celebrated in this corner of Occitanie when spring arrives! For almost a month, the streets are alive with music, traditional dances and fancy-dress parades, not forgetting the traditional escoubille stew and its world championship. An event that brings together all generations and bears witness to the fervour of the Occitan people for their traditions!

Every year in July, the village of Castex celebrates! In the heart of the Ariège region, join the locals for two days of festivities that will fill the streets with color. The Comité des Fêtes organizes a wide range of events, including an open stage on Friday, where you can present your own show of music, dance, clowning... Saturday features board games and friendly pétanque, a musical aperitif and a convivial meal (reservation required - with croustade for dessert!), ending with a concert by a local band and a DJ set that goes on all night!

With its flowered floats, its balls and its animations, the Carnival of Amélie-les-Bains is one of the most beautiful and popular carnivals of the Pyrénées-Orientales. Known since the ^19th century under the name of cavalcade, the carnival sees crowds in jubilation. The most astonishing moment remains the parade of the "Grégoire améliens": penitents dressed in white, bury the Grégoire, the Carnival Majesty, by walking him through the city before burning him in the public square.

In the Gers region, Cologne holds its annual festival in August. The main festivities are spread over 4 days, with a gourmet market on Friday, serenades, pétanque competitions and a traditional meal on Saturday, and a large gathering of motorcycles and tractors on Sunday. In the evening, there's a hearty meal under the Halle, accompanied by a traditional hot-air balloon release and a dance with live music. On Monday, you can round off your festive weekend with a pétanque competition!

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!

In October, locals and visitors alike gather for 3 days of religious entertainment to celebrate the feast of Majesty Sainte Foy in Conques. After a conference on Friday, the celebrations continue on Saturday: pilgrimage walk, First Vespers and presentation of the Abbey Tympanum, torchlight procession through the village... The weekend ends with the solemn procession of Sainte Foy, a mass and a concert by the choir.

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.

One of Védasiens' favorite summer events takes place in the Parc de la Peyrière. The town invites you to come and share convivial, festive evenings with family and friends around local produce and fine wines. On the program: winegrowers' evenings, exhibitions and stalls featuring creative craftspeople, local wine tastings, a night market and food trucks, games and entertainment for children, as well as concerts to liven up the evenings. A program that's as appealing as it is enticing, for a wonderful summer evening!

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!

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!

A great gourmet event of the summer between Bouzigues, Mèze and Marseillan, the Oyster Festival is an opportunity to celebrate these three pearls of the Thau Archipelago, which is a mecca for oyster production in the lagoon, and even on a national level. Thousands of people flock to enjoy the organized celebrations. They enjoy beautiful tables, tastings, various animations, shows, jousting tournaments, dances... The festivities end with a fireworks display that makes the lagoon shine.

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.

For years, Thursday evenings in summer have been enlivened by the tradition of a large popular banquet in Carla-Bayle. In the heart of the village, the Place de l'Europe comes alive with the pastel colors of its houses and the amazement of onlookers. Enjoy free concerts on this pretty square, large, lively and convivial tables with plates of local produce... and join in the dancing in the middle of the crowd! Book your Thursday summer evenings at Le Carla, a great excuse to party!

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!