What's on in the Vendee: April events

ANGELA BIRD'S

The
Vendée

April 2012
WHAT'S ON IN THE VENDEE

(entries in red indicate new additions)

	PLEASE NOTE This website is really just a supplement to Angela Bird’s guidebook, The Vendée (left), which gives full details in its 176 pages of hundreds of interesting and off-beat tourist sites throughout the region. What you see on the website consists of either extra topics not covered in the book (Calendar, Restaurants, Travel routes, Internet links etc), or updated information (new tourist attractions open – or old ones closed) since the most recent edition of the book appeared. For the complete picture, order The Vendée through bookshops in the UK and Ireland, or from Amazon ; it is also on sale in good bookshops throughout the Vendée.	The listings on this site are supplied in good faith, gathered by the author from various Vendée sources. However it is always wise to check details with organisers or tourist offices before making a special journey.

Until 1 Apr 2012	Printemps du Livre Annual book festival, with talks, displays, and local authors signing their works. Daily 10-7 (Fri is a special schools day)	Theatre de Thalie, Montaigu
1 Apr 2012	Galopades Tranchaises Running event, with 8km, 13km and 26km circuits for various age groups. Mass start 10am, on the beach	La Tranche-sur-Mer
1 Apr 2012	Vide-greniers Table-top “car-boot sale” in the local sports hall.	Maché, near Aizenay
2 Apr 2012	La Sarthe Pays de Loire cycle race Starts St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie (finishes 6 Apr, Sablé-sur-Sarthe).	Starts St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie
3-9 Apr 2012	Mondial des Minimes 40^th edition of this annual junior international football competition, held over Ester weekend, with young teams from 12 nations including England, Ivory Coast, the US, United Arab Emirates, Japan, Portugal, Uruguay and France. This time there will also be an exhibition on the main site from 7-9 Apr.	Montaigu Matches aso at : Mouilleron-le-Captif, La Tranche, Treize-Septiers, St-Fulgent, La Tranche, St-Hilaire-de-Loulay.
4 Apr 2012	Tango y Noche, hommage a Piazzolla Tango Express, from Buenos Aires, perform the dance for which Argentina is best known. Part of the prestigious “Spectacles de Vendée” season. 8.30pm.	Les Salorges, Noirmoutier town (tel : 02 51 36 93 60)
6 Apr 2012	“Coulisses” The Compagnie SacéKripa presents a circus entertainment, with acrobats and jugglers.	Auditorium St-Michel, 1 Avenue d’Anjou, Les Sables-d’Olonne (tel: 02 51 21 54 65)

7 Apr-7 May 2012	Festival “Kid’s Folies” Lots of fun events for children, with a Jean Miro and generally Surrealist theme running through this year’s edition.	St-Jean-de-Monts
8 April	EASTER SUNDAY 2012 (public holiday)
8 April 2012	Courses de Trotteurs sur la plage Trotting races on the beach at low tide, a sporting event that was revived in 2012 after the last one took place in 1920. About 16 jockeys take part. 1-3.30pm.	Les Sables-d’Olonne
9 April	LUNDI DE PAQUES (Easter Monday) (public holiday)
9 Apr- 30 Sept 2012	Le Grand Parc. New season for the hugely enjoyable “historical theme park”. High points include the storming of the “donjon médiéval”, the “Vikings”, and a fabulous falconry show. Among other dazzling entertainments are chariot-racing, and faithful recreations of medieval, 18th- and 19th-century villages. Apr, May open stated days only, 10am-7pm; from 1-30 June Tues & Thurs-Sun 10am-7pm 27€, children 19 €. Under-5s free.	Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, nr Les Herbiers (tel : 02 51 64 11 11).
13 Apr 2012	Fireside concert In the small house that is the birthplace of Georges Clemenceau, an hour-long musical recital. 6.30pm. Admission free (booking advisable)	Maison natale de Georges Clemenceau, Rue Clemenceau, Mouilleron-en-Pareds (tel: 02 51 00 38 72)
15 Apr 2012	Carnaval de Cholet (daytime) Reputed to be one of the finest carnivals in France, with a daytime procession attracting thousands of visitors to the town.	Cholet, Maine et Loire
15 Apr 2012	Bach organ concertos and cantatas by Handel and Telemann Recital by Hugo Reyne, flute & oboe; Matthieu Heim, baritone; with Olivier Houette, organ. Includes Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No 4. 3.30pm. Admission 16€.	Parish church, Chavagnes-en-Paillers (tel: 02 51 42 30 24).
21 Apr 2012	Carnival de Cholet (evening) 20,000 lightbulbs illuminate the night-time parade.	Cholet, Maine et Loire
21 Apr 2012	20,000 Lieues sous les Mers The Compagnie Sydney Bernard present an entertainment based on the well-known work by Jules Verne. It’s played under canvas, and is part of the prestigious “Spectacles de Vendée” season. 8.30pm.	The Citadel, nr Port-Joinville, Ile d’Yeu (tel : 02 51 36 93 60)
23 Apr 2012	Macbeth Live relay from Covent Garden of Verdi’s opera (in original language, with French subtitles). 8.30pm. Admission 12 euros.	Cinema Camera 5,21 Avenue de Villebois, Montaigu (tel : 02 51 46 46 15).
24-28 Apr 2012	7e Festival Art et Science The theme for this year’s festival is the Plant World.	Noirmoutier island
25 Apr 2012	“Murmures des Murs” A family show featuring Aurélia Thierrée, devised by her mother Geraldine Chaplin-Thierrée (daughter of Charles Chaplin). 6.30pm.	Les Atlantes, Les Sables-d’Olonne
25 & 26 April 2012	Tartuffe Molière’s 17^th-century comedy with a cast including Claude Brasseur and Patrick Chesnais. Part of the prestigious “Spectacles de Vendée” season. 8.30pm.	25 Apr, La Clef des Champs, St-Laurent-sur-Sèvre 26 Apr, Théatre Millandy, Luçon (tel : 02 51 36 93 60)
27 Apr 2012	“BachCage” Piano recital by Luxembourgeois musician Francesco Tristano, featuring works by J-S Bach and John Cage.	Auditorium St-Michel, 1 Avenue d’Anjou, Les Sables-d’Olonne (tel: 02 51 21 54 65)
28 Apr 2012	Tri-Yann in concert Performance by France’s best-known celtic group, on a 40^th-cenniversary tour. 8.30pm. 37€ to 40€	Grande Salle, Espace Rene Cassin, Fontenay-le-Conte (tickets from La Roche-sur-Yon tourist office or Mediastore)

The Conseil-Général’s website also has a regularly updated calendar of events
on its site www.vendee.fr, under “Agenda”.

A free quarterly publication called Musique-Danse lists many concerts of all kinds in the Vendee. You can find it in Mairies and tourist offices.
There is an online version here.

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