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, 31 December - Montcuq champagne, food and dancing

Visit a windmill on the Day of Patrimony and Windmills in June.