Events
Festivals and Fetes in and around the Lot, France
Through the summer, many villages, have wine fetes, village meals, art exhibitions, music festivals, theatre events, brocantes (antique markets) for example Montcuq has 2 (in July and August every year). Villages also have vide greniers (Montcuq has one at the end of August – residents clear out stuff they don’t want anymore on street stalls).
In Australia and many European and North American countries the season is wnter. In country France the season is summer. Although there will be concerts and art events all through the winter, in Cahors and many of the surrounding villages as well, there will not be so many.
It is not possible to list every activity here (for example our cultural newspaper for the department shows at least 15 different special activities every day for the month of August).
The following is just a sample of regular yearly fetes and festivals only, close to the cottage in the S W France region:
January
- Truffle market – Tuesday afternoon 2 pm at Lalbenque
- There is a Truffle festival in Lalbenque (January). In the morning a truffle competition will be held, truffles will be on the menu at lunchtime and during the afternoon there will be a demonstration of truffle hunting with dogs and pigs. Throughout the day visitors can browse a market of local products and crafts. Hunting “The Black Truffle of Quercy” is possible from December to February.
- Pantomine (La Troupe d’Acteurs du Quercy) – Montaigu de Quercy
February
- Truffle market – Tuesday afternoon 2 pm at Lalbenque
- Antique toy exhibition – Cahors
- Le Goût des Arts – Cahors (theatre in English)
- Days of the Violet flower (festival of two days)- Toulouse
- Foie Gras Fair – Cahors
March
- Truffle market – Tuesday afternoon 2 pm at Lalbenque (until middle of the month)
March / April
- Ideal Homes and Garden show – Agen
- Salon des métiers d’Art – Puy L’Eveque
April
- Flower Festival – Lauzerte, the town is filled with plants and flowers for Les Floralies
- Biennial contemporary Art Exhibition – Cahors (odd years)
May
- Big wine festical – Albas
June
- Day of patrimony and day of windmills – day of historical opportunity which gets you in to places normally closed to the public.
- Fete de la Musique – launched in France in 1982, Fête de la Musique or Feast of Music has become an international event. Every year it is celebrated in more than 110 countries worldwide on 21st June, which corresponds to the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. All towns and villages in France.
June – July
- Cinema Festival – Montauban
- Medieval Fete (every weekend, Spring to Autumn) – Puymirol
July
- Festival Chateau Bruniquel (3 days)- opera and food
- Assier dans Tous les Etats (3 days) – variety of music eg 2007 Korean danse music, harp, jazz migration.
- Cahors Blue Festival (9 days) – Very well known festival now in its 27th year
- Bastille Day Spectacle – Montcuq (apparently seen on TV all over France)
- Vibrations of Moissac (9 days) – in 2007, for example, Piaf, Byzantine choir, Corsican music
- Aligot (village meal) at Lascabanes (third week of July)
- Africajarc – 4 days of African dance and music at Cajarc
- Gramat Country Festival (3 days) – music, country dancing, old cars, food, etc
- Cordes sur Ciel(daytime 2 days)- medieval festival
- Medieval Fete – Cordes sur Ciel
July and August
- Brocante(2) – Montcuq
- Les Soirs de Moissac (5 days)- music in the Moissac world heritage cloister of for example in 2007 – classical, jazz, jewish music, gospel music, Corsican music.
- Les Diagonales d’ete (6 days) – Moissac – older music
- Festival lyrique St Cere (16 days) – opera, muscial theatre, baroque concerts, sacred music and andalousian music.
- Jazz at Montauban (15 days)
- Theatre Festical Figeac (15 days)
August
- Medieval Fête – Gourdon (early)
- Festival du Quercy Blanc – music (folklorique and classical
- Shakespeare at Montcuq (in English) – early August UK Touring Production from the The Hampstead Players
- Vide Grenier – Monpezat de Quercy
- Repas with dance Monmartre – Montcuq
- Festial de Bonaguiel – theatre with very well known French actors (but in French).
- Beer Festival at Mauroux – mid August
- Rose Garlic Festival – Lautrec
- Good antique market – Gramat (mid-August)
- Festival of Bastides in Aveyron (day and evening- 7 days) – acrobats, comedians, dancers, clowns.
- Les Nuits de Lauzerte (2 days – evenings) – photographic works, lights, concerts, dance etc
- Luzech and Figeac – cello music
- Vide Grenier and Brocante- St Daunes
- Cassoulet (village meal)- St Daunes
- Wine Festival – Puy L’Eveque
- Organised Astronomcal observations – Montcuq and Bagat
- Festi’trad – Folkloric spectacle Montcuq
- Hay Festival – Montcuq
- Vide Grenier – Montcuq
- Medieval Fete – Cordes sur Ciel
- Fete de Vin – Gaillac
August – September
- Cahors (3 days) – Festival featuring goods and food from a different country each year.
September
- Cahors – organ music – part of International Toulouse Organ Festival
- Rieupeyroux (4 days) – Cinema Festival.
- Journees du patrimonie – two days of historical opportunities which gets you in to places normally closed to the public
- European hot air ballooon meet – Rocamadour
October – November
- ‘Les Musicales du Causse de Gramat’ classical concert – Gramat
- The Two Days of Montcuq – International 200km Cross Country Horse Race – very late October.
- Castelsarrasin – theatre, sculpture
December
- Christmas market every day in Toulouse
- Christmas market first Sunday – Cordes sur Ciel
- The most famous truffle market starting on the first Tuesday of December and on every Tuesday until mid-March the truffle market of Lalbenque takes place in the main street, called ” la rue du Marché aux Truffes The market opens on the dot of two o’clock and generally lasts just a few minute so get there promptly – Lalbenque.
- Carol singing in three languages – Monflanquin 23 December
- Christmas Eve Mass – try one of the World Heritage Cathedrals – Cahors or Moissac aswell as local churches
- Reveillon, 31st December – Montcuq champagne, food and dancing