Fabulous French Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss
Fabulous French Festivals You Don’t Want to Miss
French festivals are not to be missed, and luckily there are many to choose from (if you must choose).
There are festivals throughout the year and every year, so regardless of when you find yourself in France, there’ll likely be one taking place somewhere.
Join in on the best celebrations and traditions that France has to offer. Here are some of our favorite French festivals according to https://www.apopkarotaryfair.org/.
1. Enjoy the parades at the Nice Carnival
The night before Lent begins is a popular time for Carnival celebrations all over the world. But the picturesque and romantic city of Nice along the French Riviera really stands out as an exceptional place to experience this holiday.
Carnival is celebrated every year in late February or early March.
During this time of the year, much of Europe is still shrouded in winter rains and gray skies. This is not the case in Nice, though! The climate here is usually nice and warm.
Nice puts on not just one, but three parades during Carnival: a Day Parade, a Night Parade and a Flower Parade. These parades include an average of 17 floats, and some of them are 17 meters tall!
Carnival in Nice has been celebrated since the Middle Ages, and today attracts over 200,000 spectators.
2. Experience the Best of Film at Festival de Cannes
This famous festival is held each year in Cannes on the French Riviera. It usually takes place in May and is attended by many celebrities and film industry icons.
While most of the festival is invitation-only, there are ways you can get involved. You can attend one of the parallel screenings that happen alongside the main festival.
Or go to the Cinema de la Plage, a free open-air screening by the beach that happens every evening of the festival and is open to the public (on a first-come first-served basis).
You can even get a peak at celebrities on the red carpet outside the Palais des Festival (Palace of Festivals)!
3. Bring the beach to Paris at Paris Plages
In July and August, be on the look-out for random pop-up beaches along the streets of Paris. These pop-up beaches are complete with deck chairs, palm trees and free concerts.
Every year, three locations in the Paris area are also designated as temporary beaches along the banks of the Seine River.
You can enjoy a variety of activities like boating, sunbathing, various water sports, dance lessons and of course, classic beach food and drinks.
4. Catch the top musicians at Rock en Seine
This huge multi-national concert takes place in Paris during the last weekend of August every year. Despite its name, this festival actually hosts all kinds of music genres including rock, alternative, indie, hip-hop and pop.
You can purchase either a two-day or three-day pass, or a one-day ticket to this event.
It’s the perfect opportunity to catch the biggest international musicians all in one place!
5. Smell the flowers at Le Corso Fleuri
On a Saturday in mid-August, the little city of Selestat in the northwestern region of Alsace hosts its famous festival of dahlias, a colorful flower in the sunflower family.
This beautiful festival includes a parade in which floats are decorated with more than 400,000 dahlias. Musicians, singers and folk dancers add a musical touch to the event. The floral celebration is topped off with a spectacular fireworks display.
If you can’t make it to Selestat in mid-August, all is not lost, though!
Several other towns in France have their own version of the Corso Fleuri. These include Bormes-les-Mimosas (in mid-February), Neuchâtel (on the last weekend in September) and Lavandou (in March).
