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CALENDER OF EVENTS 2009
Provence has a mixed cultural calendar with most festivals celebrating a historical or folklore event, a performing art or, failing that, the region’s most beloved pastime – food!
Below is just a taste of events in the Provencal region for 2009 – more information can be found via Terre de Festivals which lists all the festivals for the entire region.
http://www.viafrance.com/paca/
(Please note that the dates given below may be subject to change by the organisers.)
January
- New Year celebrations
- Skiing season
February
-
Fête des Citrons – Menton – various dates & activities throughout the month http://www.Fêteducitron.com/
Lemon festival with street sculptures constructed from lemons .
- Carnaval de Nice (13th Feb – 1st March 2009)
http://www.nicecarnaval.com/
The region's most celebrated two-week carnival with floats, masks, fireworks and flower battles, this is Nice's very own Mardi Gras. The Chemin de Fer usually puts on special trains to transport people down to Nice for the carnival.
- Fête de l'agneau Pascal, Digne les Bains
April
- Alpine flowers start to come into bloom
- Easter celebrations
May
- Cannes International Film Festival (13th – 24th May 2009)
http://www.festival-cannes.fr/
- Bravade St-Tropez (16th – 18th May 2009) – Fête de la Bravade
The St Tropez bravade (act of defiance) is one of the most famous, dating back to the 15th century. A bust of the patron saint is carried in a procession through the town with a guard of honour, with gun salvos, Provençal singing and dancing.
- Festival de Jazz en Pays d'Apt – five day jazz festival with concerts across the Luberon.
- Monte Carlo Rally (21st – 24th May 2009)
June
- Fête du Musique, Digne les Bains
- Transhumance – throughout the region, farmers move their flocks via the roads up to higher pastures for summer grazing.
- Fête du Feu de la Saint Jean , St André – statue of Saint Jean is carried down from the church on the hill into the town square followed by a huge bonfire.
July
August
- Local village Fêtes – each weekend at a different village. Entrance is free and there is live music and dancing each night.
- Corso de Lavande, Digne les Bains – first weekend in August – massive five day festival to celebrate the lavender harvest with fireworks, carnival floats, music and singing.
- Boules tournament, St André – this is for the locals but runs over a few days and is a great spectator sport as it's taken very seriously.
- St André Fête – third weekend of August – live music and dancing in the town square plus a huge fun fair.
September
- Foire Agricole, St André – third Saturday of the month. Large agricultural fayre selling livestock and regional products.
- Indian summers – we usually have beautiful warm September days and, as the French are back at work, plenty of space to enjoy the good weather!
October
- Mushrooming – pick wild mushrooms in the hills surrounding La Plaine then take them to the local Pharmacy who will check they are not poisonous before you eat them!
- Autumn colours – magnificent autumnal tree colours in the region.
November
- Transhumance – throughout the region, farmers move their flocks from the hills back to the farms ready for the winter.
December
- Ski season commences.
- Père Noel, Allos (Father Christmas) Christmas Eve. Watch Father Christmas ski down into Allos to kick off the Christmas celebrations.
- Noel – most villages celebrate Christmas with midnight mass, traditional chants in Provencal and a ceremony in which shepherds offer a new-born lamb. Christmas markets spring up in villages with a Christmas village and live nativity scene in Nice.
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