The Vendee: What's on in December

ANGELA BIRD'S

The
Vendée

December 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.

Early Dec	Foire Foraine Funfair	Cours Dupont, Les Sables-d’Olonne
2-4 Dec 2011	Marché de Noël Beaulieu’s Christmas market is the most famous in the Vendee, full of craftspeople and Christmas cheer beneath the trees of the picturesque square. 125 stalls. (Sunday afternoon is the most crowded time, so best to avoid that). Fri 4-9pm; Sat 10am-9pm; Sun 10am-7pm. Admission free	Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche, near Aizenay
Early Dec 2012- late Jan 2013	Crèches animées: La Féérie des Santons Wonderful displays of animated nativity scenes in model-village settings and landscapes of all kinds. Daily 2-6.30pm. 5€, children 3€, under 10 free.	Maison de l’Art, Beaulieu-sous-la-Roche
Early Dec	Telethon Local clubs do odd jobs to raise money for charity.	Throughout the Vendée
Early Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market. 10am-7pm.	Place Leclerc, Luçon
early Dec	annual Christmas fair, held among the atmospheric ruins of Maillezais Abbey – beautifully illuminated for the occasion. A second craft “village” sets out traditonal Christmas trees amid snow. Sat 2-8.30pmpm ; Sun 11am-8.30pm. Admission free.	Abbaye St Pierre, Maillezais, near Fontenay-le-Comte (tel : 02 51 87 22 80).
Dec weekends	Le Mystère de Noël A beautiful 75-minute Christmas show in the indoor arena offers a colourful re-creation of Bethlehem on the eve of Christmas. A sort of “Nine Lessons & Carols” with some Puy du Fou exoticism! Times vary. Admission 20 euros, children under 12, 11 euros, under-5s free.	Puy-du-Fou, Les Epesses, ne Les Herbiers (tel: 02 51 64 11 11)
4 Dec 2011	Nouvel an du Muscadet Annual event at which Muscadet producers bring their latest vintage to show off and offer tastings under the medieval market hall of Clisson.	Clisson (Loire-Atlantique)
Mid Dec	Noël à La Chabotterie Christmas food and craft market in and around the historic country mansion. This year under a Provençal theme, with olive trees and cypresses to set the mood. 40 stalls; Provençal story-telling; donkey-rides; ice-sculpture Sat 2-8pm; Sun 10am-7pm. Admission free.	Logis de la Chabotterie, St-Sulpice-le-Verdon (tel: 02 5142 81 00)
Mid Dec	Marché de Noël Traditional wooden chalets inside the grounds of the medieval castle, selling Christmas gifts and goodies. Regular 10-minute concerts on bells, puppet shows, barrel organ, pony-rides and ice-sculpture. Sat 2-8.30pm; Sun 2-8.30pm. Admission free.	Tiffauges (tel: 02 51 65 77 65)
Mid Dec	Spectacle de la Creche Vivante de Noël de Cholet 120 people take part in a 45-minute Nativity tableau on the main square. 5.30pm and 6.30pm. Admission free.	Place Travot, Cholet (Maine-et-Loire) ; information from Cholet tourist office (02 41 49 80 00).
Mid Dec	Marché de Noël Christmas market, in the most ancient street of Fontenay. On Sat 17 Dec, torchlit procession, 6pm.	Rue des Loges, Fontenay-le-Comte
Mid-late Dec	Noël au Haras Equestrian talks, demonstrations and donkey rides in the handsome stud farm that lies in the centre of La Roche. 2-7pm. Admission 5 euros, children free; does not include equestrian show “le 4e roi mage”.	Le Haras, Bd des Etats-Unis, La Roche-sur-Yon (tel : 02 51 37 48 48).
Mid Dec	Marché de Noel Christmas market in the centre of La Roche, with 70 stands. Daily 10-7.	Place Napoléon, La Roche-sur-Yon
25 Dec	CHRISTMAS DAY (public holiday)

MORE EVENTS

The Vendée Tourist Board website has many events listed under
various categories, starting from this page

The Conseil-Général’s website also has a regularly updated
calendar of events on its site, under “Agenda”
(click on “Evenements suivants” for later events, or on the names
of the other months shown)

For Vendée vide-greniers (brocante fairs and car-boot sales),
I have made a selection from  this excellent specialised website.
If you wish to see fairs in another département, simply change the Vendee code (85) at the end of the link to that of your chosen département: i.e. 44 for Loire-Atlantique; 49 for Maine-et-Loire etc

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

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