Events calendar Picardy

It's the only book village north of Paris. In 2006, Esquelbecq took up the challenge of becoming a book village. All year round, the village offers a wide range of events, including a book market, literary aperitif, reading salon, meetings with authors and exhibitions. The highlight of the year is the Nuit des livres, a major event held every year on the first weekend in July. It will take place on July 6, 2024. Esquelbecq's exceptional setting, a blend of rurality and interesting architectural buildings (Hallekerke Saint-Folquin, château...), is in keeping with the ambitions of facilitating access to literary expression and culture for as many people as possible, but also with the promise of visiting a pretty corner of culture in Flanders. It's impossible not to fall under the spell of Esquelbecq, village of books and heritage. Christmas and book market on November 16 and 17, 2024. Book market every^3rd Sunday from September to May.Places to visit:

- Le Chef-d'oeuvre retrouvé

- Carpe Diem bookshop

- Books and you

Other establishments contribute to the cultural renown of this charming village:

- Les Gigottos Automates

- Brasserie Thiriez

- The castle

- The church

- Jean-Michel Devynck cultural center

An international sporting event, the Lille Half Marathon is a running race organized by the Ligue Hauts-de-France d'athlétisme in March, to celebrate the return of spring. To take part in this race is first and foremost to set yourself a challenge and surpass yourself to cross the finish line. But it's also about discovering Lille's heritage, the Grands Boulevards and the Citadelle in a whole new light, thanks to routes that cross the heart of the city, welcoming thousands of people for the occasion in a very friendly, festive and supportive atmosphere.

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.

Les Fenêtres qui parlent is a unifying and original event. Created in 2001, they enable neighborhood associations to express their stories and memories. As you can imagine, the windows of participating residents are decorated with drawings, paintings and messages... More than a simple event, these windows are an open door on local life and the dreams of residents, highlighted by regional artists. A surprise window is revealed after a tour of the partner towns. Each year, you'll have the pleasure of strolling new streets and discovering new neighborhoods in this amazing metropolis, through a variety of themes ("Micro Machine" in Lille-Sud, "Couples Improbables" in Roubaix, "Flottements" in Bois-Blancs, for example). A great initiative to liven up and showcase the many neighborhoods that deserve to be better known!

Unusual moments in perspective thanks to the open doors of the artists'workshops! The program? Visit the premises of a thousand amateur and professional artists from the North, be they painters, graphic artists, sculptors or photographers. You will discover in which space they work, which inspires them, with which materials, with which tools they create… Exciting and often enriching meetings on the works and artists themselves at the sharing workshops with the general public. A great opportunity to discover all these talents!

Winter sports in Lille take place at the Gare Saint-Sauveur. Games and activities await you. You'll have a great time with family and friends. The famous 700^m2 skating rink is the main attraction (the only paying activity), but you'll love the other attractions too: toboggan runs, a ski and snowboard simulator... and other activities for all ages. Many shows and events are free of charge. During the day and at night, you won't be able to get away from this atmosphere worthy of a real ski resort.

A real popular festival at Cayeux-sur-Mer in the bay of the Somme. Adorned with a multitude of gladioli (nearly 9,000!) and multicoloured dahlias, the town becomes an even more lively place for a day. On the programme: parade of floats decorated with flowers by the associations, competition for the most beautiful float, musical entertainment in the afternoon at the city's kiosk and open-air disco in the evening on Boulevard du Général Sizaire, with a splendid fireworks display as a final bouquet. Every year, the public is present in large numbers in the streets of the city.

A hike that mixes both body and mind. In the heart of nature (in Effry for the 2016 edition), the games of address and reflection are multiplying in a good atmosphere. The map of the Legend of the Thiérache in hand, discover beautiful landscapes and take the time to observe the fauna and flora. On the floor of the cows or on water in canoe, the day will be completed. A puzzle to solve, a physical effort, the pleasure of being with friends or family because it is a team race, many lots to win, this is a beautiful idea of exit to renew every year.

Organised in honour of the sea and sailors, the Fête de la Mer at Le Crotoy is an event not to be missed. Magnificent in traditional costumes, the sailors parade with the musicians of the local harmony and the giants of Berck, Flip and Zabeth. Follow them, hoping that there are enough free places on the boats to participate in the blessing of the sea. The Marseillaise resounds during the stopover near the monument dedicated to the sailors who disappeared in the changing waters of the English Channel. A market of regional products and various festivities also take place during this weekend, such as jousting in the hunting basin and outings at sea.

Organized by the Association Béthune Carnaval founded in 1988, on the occasion of the 600th anniversary of the belfry, this event respects the purest carnival tradition and offers many celebrations in the presence of Gambrinus, the famous Béthunois beer giant! Other giants, made by the inhabitants, will dominate the procession of the Béthunois (25 groups are represented). Two new products in 2019: the chocolate throwing and the arrival of the procession on the Grand' place.

An ideal family outing to unwind! There's plenty to do on this festive day! Parents can take advantage of a large flea market, community stands, an exhibition on the First World War, a colorful flower bike contest and a popular ball in the evening. And there's plenty for children to do too! A fun fair, sports demonstrations, inflatables, face-painting stands and a drawing competition are sure to keep them entertained. At lunchtime, you can all enjoy a country-style buffet. Great fun!

Behind this festival is an association (Culture B) and an ambition: to restore beer to its former glory and make it a product of excellence, while highlighting the regional brewing tradition. Since its launch in spring 2017, the festival has grown considerably, bringing together 10,000 participants and 105 breweries by 2021! On the program: tastings, meetings, exhibitions, meals, themed tours of the metropolis and its breweries, and a final bouquet where brewers come together to offer the best of their production.

The Route du Louvre is a renowned event that links Lille and Lens via several routes adapted to the sporting abilities and desires of each participant. Whether it's a hike, a trail or a run, participants can push their limits in a sporting, festive and cultural atmosphere that's part city, part nature. Whatever their route, they discover the rich cultural heritage of the Hauts-de-France region, the beauty of its sites against a backdrop of mines and slag heaps, and then meet up in the gardens of the Louvre-Lens to celebrate the end of their efforts in style!

Come and join us on Sunday June 7, from 7.45am to 12pm, starting from the François Albert foyer (rue Fernand-Bar). Several new hiking circuits are on offer. Will you dare to tackle an 8 km, 13 km or 19 km route? A snack is served before the start, and a more festive and well-deserved one at the finish. Activities for the whole family are organized by the Bon Pied Bon oeil hiking club.

Nature in all its senses. Every year, during the weekend of Pentecost, Béthune is in celebration. In the different buildings and streets of the city, you can attend numerous animations and take part in an agricultural fair. Children love the living farm and can approach the animals as close as possible. The Marmottan, Rabin and Lamartine places are teeming with activities. An ideal family outing.

Friendly appointment at the start of the, the Festival of local allows the tasting of the excellent local produce. We also appreciate many events, exhibitions and free concerts. The farm animals are present to entertain the children and they can even enjoy walks on the back of pony. The competition pointers and the country meal are finally two great moments to privilege.

This great event attracts a lot of visitors every year. You can appreciate parades of military vehicles, the presentation of these machines, an exchange market during the 3 days and animations in the evening under the big top (ball, concert). Catering, refreshment bar and baptism in period vehicles. Finally, commemorative convoys of the liberation of Pas-de-Calais, and a big parade with music in the Park of Lampisterie in Haillicourt close this beautiful event.

Created by the Modèle air-club d'Artois (MACA), this radio-controlled airplane meeting brings together aviation enthusiasts, pilots, modelers and hobbyists for the biggest model airplane meeting north of Paris. Nearly four thousand visitors each year.

In 2015, this exhibition (in the delicious word game) celebrates its twentieth edition. The largest Christmas market in the Haisnes-Lez-La Bassée region brings together exhibitors from local products, crafts and crafts in Nord-Pas-de-Calais and all regions of France. Thousands of visitors are always seduced by this rendezvous. A pleasant exit for gourmets looking for good ideas for year-end holidays.

Here you will find the different stands of local associations in the decoration "All pumpkin". You can taste or grab soups, pies and creams with pumpkin. In addition, a catering booth, bar and buffet, and games and gifts for children will make a pleasant note to this party.

Painters, draughtsmen, sculptors and photographers from Le Touquet, the Côte d'Opale and beyond come together every year for this show, held at the Palais des Congrès. This 30th^edition will once again introduce the public to artists selected for the originality and quality of their work. These artists will be delighted to meet laymen and amateurs to explain their approach.

Since its inception, the NAME Festival has never ceased to reinvent itself and surprise us. A major event for electro-music fans, the festival takes over unusual venues (remnants, industrial wastelands...) and thrills its thousands of spectators to the sounds of internationally renowned artists and young emerging musicians. The NAME Festival is a talent scout and incubator, and organizes meetings and master classes. On the strength of its reputation, the festival has become an itinerant one, organizing events all over France.

It's not a joke and it's even a very serious and very expensive championship to our Leffrinckouckois. More than ever proud of their fishing village, there are more than a hundred each year to break up the country's small grey shrimp more quickly than their shadow to be sacred champions of the world. An event worthy of the user's friendliness. Who will beat the title of the title, Nicole Vanzinghel, who can break up 134 grams of shrimp in 10 minutes?

The Braderie de l'Art is an unusual event organized by the Condition Publique in Roubaix. The concept? Dedicate a weekend to art and design recycling, bringing together the most inspired international designers (graphic artists, sculptors, graffiti artists...). Before the eyes of over 20,000 visitors each year, they use their talents to give a second life to countless obsolete objects through hyper-creative refurbishments and/or customizations. If you're there in December, you might just be able to treat yourself to one of their artistic reclaimed objects!

This is the not-to-be-missed event for all lovers of the ^9th art! On the initiative of the association On a marché sur la bulle (Tintin fans rejoice!), some one hundred authors meet at the Halle Freyssinet for workshops, screenings of live drawings, signings, events and conferences. For the ^25th edition, Cyril Pedrosa signed the poster. Exhibitions on Amiens Cathedral, the Musée de Picardie and Shinichi Ishizuka's Blue Giant manga marked the last edition of the festival.

This is a very special race, at once a leap into the past on a World War I site, an obstacle course and a slightly crazy challenge on Great War sites such as the Montigny quarries! This race includes more than fifty obstacles spread over 11 kilometres. You will have to crawl, slide, climb, cross a river, carry, face mud and clay... For those accompanying you or for the less courageous, historical re-enactments, hikes and guided tours are organised.

The 10 km takes place every year on November 1. Since its inception in 2005, the number of participants is increasing. On the same day, a child race is organised with 3 different distances (400 m, 800 m and 1 200 m). The circuit is very pleasant with a passage over the Vauban ramparts and the famous Zoo zoo. Don't forget your medical certificate.

Tariff: 7 € per person, no inscriptions on race day.

Distance: 10 km.

Departure: at 10 pm at the Alex Cuvellier hall in the Pierre Forest lyceum in Maubeuge. Start of children's race at 11 am.

Difficulty: .

The hilly trail runs through the municipalities of Steenvoorde, Oudezeele and Terdeghem and contains a few small areas of battered land.

Distance: 11,5 km.

Departure: at 14 h from Steenvoorde.

Difficulty: average.

Every summer, the North puts sport at the mercy and the runners, amateurs or confirmed, are already delighted! As every year on the first Sunday in July, the commune of Fromelles will host the Strides of the Commune of Commune. In the programme of this popular and user-friendly event: three road races 1 km, 5 km and 10 km, as well as a family walk. What to satisfy all tastes, ages and levels! With family or friends, make yourself one of the 540 registered!

Tariff: from 5 to 8 € per person.

Distance: 1 km, 5 km and 10 km.

Difficulty: .

Rendez-vous: village centre at 9 am.

Other practical information: any non-licensee shall have a medical certificate indicating the absence of a contraindication to the practice of the race on foot.

The Northern Department seems to be particularly receptive in the summer: You'll have a lot of fun in walking! In mid-June, for example, the municipality of Obies will receive the Course Race, a popular 10 km race on forest trails and trails. A good opportunity to (re) discover the forgotten small corners of the vicinity of the village, and who knows, perhaps, to find your ideal jogging route…

Tariff: 8 € or 10 € on site.

Distance: 10 km.

Difficulty: easy to average.

Rendez-vous: Bicentenaire room facing the town hall of Obies. Departure from 17 pm and departure at 19 pm.

Other practical information: any non-licensee shall have a medical certificate indicating the absence of a contraindication to the practice of the race on foot.

At the beginning of July, the municipality of Maing welcomed its Strides Maingeoises as every year. In the programme: two adult races of 5 and 10 kilometres on countryside, as well as several children races. No great difficulty, rest assured: a challenge, therefore, within everyone's reach! Put the trainers together and belong to some 300 participants expected that day! Rewards will be distributed to all athletes after the festivities, proof that whatever the final ranking, the important thing is to participate!

Tariff: € 4 for the 5 km and € 5 for the 10 km.

Distance: 5 km and 10 km.

Difficulty: easy to average.

Rendez-vous: Léo Lagrange stadium in Maing. Departures at 14 am and 15 pm.

Other practical information: any non-licensee shall have a medical certificate indicating the absence of a contraindication to the practice of the race on foot.