ANGELA BIRD'S 

 
The
 Vendée 


July 2008

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 early Aug

Festival Mer et Vie  Music of all sorts – classical, rock, blues, gospel etc – performed in village squares and churches in the St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie area. 9pm. Admission free.

1 Aug, Notre-Dame-de-Riez ; 3 Aug, La Chaize Giraud ; 6 Aug, Stp0Gilles-Croix-de-Vie ; 10 Aug, Coex. (tel : 02 51 54 70 70).

Until
early Aug

Festival de musique baroque  Annual festival of baroque music in the courtyard and garden ofthe Logis de la Chabotterie.

Logis de la Chabotterie,
St-Sulpice-le-Verdon.

Until mid Aug

Les Ricochets  Festival of street theatre. Wed & Fri evenings. Admission free.
(Last week of July and first week of Aug, also free concerts by young Korean musicians, daily, free.).

Town centre, Fontenay-le-Comte.

Until 31 Aug

Les Nuits de Richard Coeur de Lion  Wonderful opportunity to wander round the ruined fortress at night, with information panels (in English), sound effects and amazing lighting techniques. Every night in July and August.

Talmont-St-Hilaire

Until early Sept

Sur les Pas d’Amandine   New season of performances in the woodland hideout used by the Vendeans during the 18th-century Wars of the Vendee. Sun, 3.30pm & 5,30pm; Thurs 8.30pm. 7€, children 3.50€; family (2+2 or more) 18€.

Refuge de Grasla, St Denis-la-Chevasse

Until mid Sept

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 the much-hyped chariot-racing, and faithful recreations of 18th- and 19th-century villages. Daily 10am-7pm. 25€, children 14.50 €. Under-5s free.

Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, nr Les Herbiers
(tel: 02 51 64 11 11).

Until early Sept

Cinéscénie  Spectacular son-et-lumiere show, retelling the history of the Vendee. Most Fri & Sats 23€, children 15€ August 10pm.

Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, nr Les Herbiers
(tel : 02 51 64 11 11).

Until
mid Sept

Equestrian displays  Demonstrations are given at the town-centre National Stud establishment. Daily:

Haras National, Bd des Etats Unis, La Roche-sur-Yon

1 Aug

Les Soirées d’Apremont  Second of two evenings of jazz, bossa-nova and Latin-American dances in front of the ruined château.

Apremont

1-3 Aug

Lancel Classic  Races for classic yachts, with about 50 taking part.

Noirmoutier

2, 3 Aug

Les Médiévales  Weekend of events around the ruins of the ancient castle, with juggling, jousting and costumed players. Grand storming of the castle on Saturday night.

Commequiers, near Challans

early Aug

Brocante fair  Open-air antiques fair in the streets of this picturesque village.

Sallertaine, near Challans

early Aug

Festival de Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile  Season of plays, acted out against the backdrop of the historic castle. 9.30pm. 18€, children 8€.

Noirmoutier-en-l’Ile, Nourmoutier island (tel: 02 51 35 87 24).

7 & 8 Aug

Nieul – Village de lumière  An evening of entertainment in this picturesqaue village.

Nieul-sur-l’Autise, near Fontenay-le-Comte

7 Aug

Autrefois . . . Challans  Wonderful old-time fair days throughout this pleasant market town, with traditional activities and a good deal of family fun.

Challans

7, 8, 11-13 Aug

Cette nuit Pierre-Levée   Enjoyable son-et-lumière production, with 200 locals acting out the history of the Olonnes area against the backdrop of the pretty little Château de Pierre Levée. 1.300pm (food available earlier). 15 euros, children 8 euros.

Château de Pierre-Levée, (near Olonne golf course), Olonne-sur-Mer (tel: 02 51 23 71 54).

10 Aug

Fête du Lotus  Annual festival around the beautiful lakes of flowering lotuses.

Parc Floral et Tropical, St-Cyr-du-Talmondais

early Aug

Puces Olonnaises  Flea market. 6am-6pm.

Olonne-sur-Mer (tel: 02 51 95  31 83).

Mid Aug

Puces Islaises  Flea market, with more than 100 dealers setting up shop around the picturesque village church.

Place de la Mairie, Ile-d’Olonne, near Les Sables-d’Olonne (tel : 02 51 95 47 48).

Mid Aug

Puces Lignéronnaises  August edition of the Vendée’s largest open-air flea-market. 9am-7pm. 1€.

St-Christophe-du-Ligneron, nr Challans.

12, 13 Aug

Le Ballet des Arts  The Simphonie du Marais, under director Hugo Reyne, play music by Lully.

La Chabotterie, St-Sulpice-le-Verdon

14 Aug

Autrefois . . . Challans  Wonderful old-time fair days throughout this pleasant market town, with traditional activities and a good deal of family fun.

Challans

14 Aug

Nuit de la Mogette  The annual festival devoted to the white haricot bean of the Vendée. Old-time agricultural methods, music, and a beanfeast.

Le Poiré-sur-Vie, near Aizenay

14-16 Aug

Régates du Bois de la Chaise  130 sleek wooden sailing boats compete in a series of races off the coast of Noirmoutier. Parade of boats on Sun into Noirmoutier town port.

Bois de la Chaise and Noirmoutier town, Noirmoutier

mid Aug

Scénographie de Pierre-Levée  Enjoyable son-et-lumiere production, with 200 locals acting out the history of the Olonnes area against the backdrop of the pretty little Chateau de Pierre Levée. 1.300pm (food available earlier). 15 euros, children 8 euros.

Chateau de Pierre-Levée, (near Olonne golf course), Olonne-sur-Mer (tel: 02 51 23 71 54).

15 Aug

Fete du Lac  Fun and games in, around and on the lake, with a grand firework finale over the water after dark.

Rue du Moulin-a-Eau, Maché, near Aizenay

15 Aug

Fete du Folklore et du Sanglier  An afternoon of music and dance, plus evening meal of roast wild boar with accompanying entertainment. From 2.30pm; meal from 7pm.

St-Avaugourd-des-Landes, near La Mothe-Achard


15 Aug


FETE DE L’ASSOMPTION 
(Feast of the Assumption), public holiday

 

14 Aug

Autrefois . . . Challans  Wonderful old-time fair days throughout this pleasant market town, with traditional activities and a good deal of family fun.

Challans

16-22 Aug

Championnat International de Fireball  Around 60 two-man racing dinghies compete for a week off the coast.

Notre-Dame-de-Monts

21-24 Aug

Festival de Cugand  Annual festival of world music, with colourful teams performing traditional music and dance on the open-air stage.

Cugand, near Clisson (tel: 02 51 36 93 60).

 

 


The Conseil-Général’s website also has a regularly updated calendar of events.
To view it,
click here
A quarterly publication called Musique-Danse lists many concerts of all kinds in the Vendee. You can find the latest version by following a link from here


2008

JAN  FEB  MARCH  APRIL  MAY  JUNE  JULY  AUG  SEPT  OCT  NOV  DEC


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