THE GUIDE FESTIVALS 2018


All manner of airborne animals rise to the occasion at the Berck Kite Festival


Fireman’s Ball is a true chance to let your hair down, with feel-good parties thrown in fi re stations across Paris’s arrondissements (and yes, fi remen do attend them). Free entry makes these shindigs particularly accessible – albeit rather busy – and they’re held on both July 13 and 14 so you don’t have to miss out on any other celebrations. Le Mât Incliné It doesn’t get much stranger than this. Picture a fl agpole suspended above water, lathered in soap and poised at a 30-degree angle. Now picture men running up said slippery pole to grab the fl ag at its tip. C’est du pur génie! This is the premise of Le Mât Incliné, a quirky Bastille Day tradition in Honfl eur, Normandy. Do drop in and witness the splashy spectacle for yourself! Firework display As if the Eiffel Tower wasn’t beautiful enough at night, she’s crowned with fi reworks on July 14. Spectators are invited to watch the day’s pièce de résistance from the Champ-de-Mars and just over the Seine on the place du


152 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Jun/Jul 2018


Trocadéro, although it might be worth researching lesser-known vantage points if you want an unspoilt view.


Les Fêtes de la Saint-Louis August 23-28, 2018


When one thinks of possible ways to honour a patron saint, one is unlikely to imagine boatloads of men trying to knock each other into the water – but that’s exactly what happens every August in the port town of Sète. This eccentric water jousting tournament is a real crowd- pleaser at Les Fêtes de la Saint-Louis and the fi erce competition makes for an exciting afternoon. www.tourisme-sete.com


International Kite Festival (Rencontres Internationales de Cerfs-Volants: RICV) April 6-14, 2019


The air comes alive with all manner of colourful beasties at Berck-sur-Mer’s annual International Kite Festival. There’s even a highly competitive championship, which sees entrants from all over the world


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IMAGE © BERCK-SUR-MER


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