Traditional festivals folklore and fairs Provence-Alpes-Côte D'Azur

A Festival! Over three days,

Second half of July: the meetings of Haute-Provence (tel.) 04 92 79 57 72). In July and August: Jazz and Forcalquier festival. In October: encounters of taste. Christmas: round of crèches.

The Sunday closest to January 31 (not the last Sunday in January): Costume party of the Pétardiers. The Employer Festival lasts the 4 days on the weekend of Mother's day. In June, Festival of Transhumance and Feast of lights of Saint John on 24.

The 3rd Sunday in June  : Festival of Transhumance.

The 2nd weekend of July  : Celebration of the Renaissance.

The ^first Sunday of August  : Wheat Festival.

The ^first week of August  : Festival des IV Columns (world music).

Please contact the Tourist Office.

The 3rd Sunday in July: Day of Prehistory.

Information (tel.) 04 92 74 01 12

A traditional and folk procession in memory of Saint Aygulphe, a pilgrim monk of Lérins Abbey who was tortured by the rebel monks in the year 660.

Weekend dedicated to the tree that gave its name to the town, with activities for children and folk dances, exhibitions, advice on planting, maintenance, pruning, introduction to the flavors and tasting of olive oil. Not to mention the aioli competition, as well as the traditional planting of an olive tree in the Confluence garden. Festivities that every year for 33 years animate the city center of Ollioules, where between 20 000 and 25 000 visitors are expected.

Hiking and procession in the massif of Esterel, Provencal mass, traditional champêtre and dances.

Traditional holiday, a mass sung in Provençal, bravado, folk groups, corso of mimosa with battle of flowers, Provencal market, animation all day.

The day will begin with a procession with the bust of Saint Jean in front of the Church of Saint Jacques le Majeur at 9:00 am. For those who don't wish to walk to the Chapelle Saint Jean, two mini-buses will be available from the town hall at 10:00 am. An open-air mass will then be celebrated at Chapelle Saint Jean at 10:30 a.m., led by Father Georges and with the participation of catechism children. At midday, a large picnic will be held in the shade of the Papeterie trees, with an aperitif offered by the municipality. Food-trucks will be on hand for refreshments, and musical entertainment will be provided by Karine & Co. In the afternoon, several activities will be on offer, including wooden games for the whole family, pony rides for children and a boules competition hosted by the Cercle Bouliste.

The Feast of St. Roch (patron saint of shepherds) is a great peasant festival that traditionally takes place every year in mid-August. These 2 days of festivities are an opportunity for many activities to the sound of traditional music and dances: workshops and demonstrations of craft and agricultural trades, making beeswax objects and a living hive-hive school, discovering the activity of bees, making felt objects, pottery workshop with potter's wheel on foot, many workshops of old, horticulture workshop... The sheep parade takes place on Sundays to the sound of the bells exposed at the town hall: a highlight of the festivities !

The brotherhood of Saint-Roch seems to have been created before 1778. The confreres were animal owners who donated livestock and money, which gave a charitable role to the brotherhood. In order to complete the livestock, the brotherhood bought animals and thus managed a real business, buying or selling sheep, cheese or wool for its own management. The nest egg obtained made it possible to help a shepherd in financial difficulty by lending him money, or by renting the livestock, through the signing of a contract. In 1899, the company opened its doors to goatherds, then to the Granilais.

On the day of the celebration of the patron saint, during the great mass which takes place in the morning, the statue of the saint accompanies the procession through the streets of the village surrounding the collegiate church and is preceded by the prior carrying the flag of the brotherhood.

In addition to themed events, each year the Villages & Vallées d'Azur communes honor their patron saints. These festivities generally take place in summer, and the list is long: Saint Roch is celebrated in Valbonne, Saint Félix in Courmes, Sainte Julie in Les Ferres, Saint Arnoux in Gourdon, Saint Louis in Caussols, Saint Claude in Cipières, Sainte Pétronille in La Roque-en-Provence, Notre-Dame de Canlache in Roquefort-les-Pins, Notre-Dame du Rosaire in Conségudes, Notre-Dame du Peuple in Bézaudun-les-Alpes... On the program: pilgrimage, pétanque competition, meal and ball.

This traditional and popular holiday is animated by Lei Farandoulaire Sestian. Start of the festivities with the flame recovery, at 20 p. m., place de l'Hôtel-de-Ville. Next, the Provençale cortège is located in the square of the Piétonne and its surroundings. Start a series of animations. The Provençal dances presented by Lei Farandoulaire Sestian are the highlight of the show. At 22 p. m., it's the blessing and the embrasement of the fireplace that opens the Grand Balèti, the popular ball. A great opportunity to celebrate the arrival of the summer!

Producer and artisan markets, conferences, workshops, screenings, guided hikes and outings... A wide range of activities are on offer throughout the day to help you discover the Parc des Préalpes d'Azur in a different way, during a festive and convivial interlude rich in encounters. The aim is to highlight the richness of the region and its surroundings. Each year, the event changes date and commune, always within the park.