THE GUIDE FESTIVALS 2022


Plum Festival Fêtes de la Mirabelle August, 2022


Who would have thought that the humble plum could be so popular? Around 80,000 visitors come to Metz’s Fêtes de la Mirabelle, an annual celebration of the fruit. Attractions include colourful parades, fireworks, concerts, hot-air balloons, the crowning of the Mirabelle Queen, and of course lots and lots of plum tasting. www.metz.fr


Fête des Vendanges de Montmartre October 5–9, 2022


While you might not associate urban Paris with wine-making, this quartier in the north of the capital has been hosting its Fête des Vendanges since the 1930s, often attracting hundreds of thousands of fans of the fermented grape. It’s all thanks to a tiny working vineyard in the shadow of Sacré-Coeur called the Clos Montmartre, which yields around 1,500 bottles a year, most of which is auctioned for charity during the festival. Many other wines from all over France and beyond are available for tasting as well. www.fetedesvendanges demontmartre.com


Menton Lemon Festival Fête du Citron February 2023


Celebrating this Riviera town’s position as a major lemon producer, this festival attracts


Distinctly lemon-flavoured shenanigans at Menton’s Fête du Citron


around 200,000 visitors every year with its enormous citrus- fruit sculptures, light shows, bands, dancing, and both night-time and daytime carnival- style parades where some very juicy lemons (plus more than a few oranges) take centre stage. www.fete-du-citron.com


Eguisheim mushroom festival Fête du Champignon à Eguisheim October 29–30, 2022


This autumn celebration of all things fungus includes an exhibition of amazing


mushrooms, mushroom-themed street shows, and a classic Alsatian mushroom market. The


local restaurants jump on the bandwagon, too, offering up all sorts of mushroom-based dishes. Perfect for all fungis (and girls). www.tourisme-eguisheim-rouffach. com


Espelette Pepper Festival Fête du Piment October 29–30, 2022


Things get very spicy indeed in the Basque Country when the town of Espelette celebrates its most famous product – its luscious red peppers – during the Fête du Piment. As well as plenty of tasting opportunities, there are also street parades, traditional Basque dancing, concerts, awards, games of pelota… and of course lots of market stalls overloaded with perfect red peppers. www.espelette-paysbasque.com


Head to Montmartre for the Fête des Vendanges 144 ❘ FRANCE TODAY Apr/May 2022


Salon du Chocolat October 28–November 1, 2022 Cocoa farmers, cocoa importers, chocolatiers, wholesalers, retailers, chocolate chefs, chocolate sculptors, even chocolate painters… you’ll find all of these and more at Paris’s annual chocolate bacchanal, the Salon du Chocolat. Staged at the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles exhibition centre, it will immerse


you in the smell, taste and sight of hundreds of exhibition stalls, all piled high with this most glorious of foodstuffs. There’s also a Lyon version, staged at that city’s Centre de Congrès from November 11 to 13. www.salon-du-chocolat.fr


Taste of Paris May 12–15, 2022


The Grand Palais in Paris’s 7th arrondissmeent is the setting for this four-day festival where punters can sample tasting menus at pop-up restaurants manned by some of Paris’s best chefs. “Whether Michelin- starred, trend setters or future young talents, Taste of Paris warmly welcomes today’s most sought-after chefs to bring you a gourmet experience to remember,” say the organisers. There’s a foodie market too. paris.tastefestivals.com


Lyon Street Food Festival June 23–26, 2022 Each year, this lively festival, which in 2022 takes place in the old Fagor Brandt factory in Lyon, sees around 100 chefs, 15 artists and thousands of hungry festival-goers celebrate street food in all its forms. lyonstreetfoodfestival.com FT


IMAGES © SHUTTERSTOCK


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14