What's on in the Vendee: July events

ANGELA BIRD'S

The
Vendée

July 2010

WHAT'S ON IN THE VENDEE

(entries in red indicate new additions)

For the vide-greniers, I have drawn on the useful list in the
excellent Courrier Vendéen newspaper.

	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 late July	Les Soldes / Sales! This is the official period for which French shops are authorised to hold sales. Make the most of it!	Throughout France
Until mid SeptSept	Cinéscénie Spectacular son-et-lumiere show, retelling the history of the Vendee. June 10.30pm. 24€, children 15€	Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, near Les Herbiers (tel: 02 51 64 11 11).
Until late 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. 1-30 June Tues & Thurs-Sun 10am-7pm 26€-29€, children 16 €. Under-5s free.	Puy du Fou, Les Epesses, nr Les Herbiers (tel: 02 51 64 11 11).
early July	Festival de Poupet Big names come to the annual open-air music festival in a picturesque site alongside the river Sèvre Nantaise. Admission prices vary	Poupet, near Mortagne-sur-Sèvre. Booking Mortagne tourist office (tel: 02 51 65 11 32).
early July	Vide-grenier (car-boot sale) in centre of this picturesque village.	Vouvant
Early July- late Aug	Les Nocturnes du Château Medieval entertainment around the ruins of St Mesmin castle.	Chateau de St Mesmin, La Ville, near Pouzauges
mid July	Festival à tout vent Major kite festival, with night kite-flying and fireworks on the last evening.	Notre-Dame-de-Monts, nr St-Jean-de-Monts
13 July	Torchlight processions and dancing in celebration of Fête Nationale	Various venues, including Olonne-sur-Mer
14 July	FETE NATIONALE (Bastille Day, public holiday)
14 July	Fete des Vieux Métiers Colourful traditions and old crafts. Sat, meal, fireworks and dancing; Sun old crafts etc demonstrated in village centre 10-7; grand parade at 5pm.	Ile d’Olonne, nr Les Sables.
14 July	Brocante de La Tranche Large annual brocante and car-boot sale, with 150+ stalls and thousands of visitors.	Parking de la Grière. La Tranche-sur-Mer
14 July 2010	Vide-grenier estival Annual summer car-boot fair.	St-Brévin-les-Pins 44
14 July 2010	5e Grand Brocante Large brocante fair.	Stade du Bossad, Chasnais
mid July- 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.).	Fontenay-le-Comte
Mid July	Nocturnes Océanes Season of concerts of Romantic music in the open air. 15, 16 July, Rigoletto, 9.30pm, 18 euros; 17 July, Grand concert in the Jardin Dumaine, 5pm, free; 18 July, 8.30pm, Banquet a l’Italienne Wander round the Jardin Dumaine, sampling Italian dishes on the way. Admission free, charge for food. 19 July, La Tosca, 9.30pm. 18 euros	Luçon (tel: 02 51 36 93 60)
15 July 2010	Autrefois . . . Challans Wonderful old-time fair days throughout this pleasant market town, with traditional activities and a good deal of family fun.	Challans
mid July	Concours de saut d’obstacles A major national French showjumping competition over three days, with a special evening on the Saturday featuring a meal and a circus-style equestrian show. Admission free to competitions; Sat evening 8pm (booking essential) 20€, children 12€ for meal and spectacle.	Les Presnes, St-Gervais, near Challans (tel: 02 51 68 71 13).
18 July	14e Course a la Soupe de Poisson Gastromer Annual “fish-soup race” sponsored by a local manufacturer of this delicious product. Around 400 runners of all levels will compete on a 10km course through woods and on the coast. Races start about 5pm. The top male and female runners are awarded his or her weight in fish soup!	Start: 20 Avenue de la Mer, Notre-Dame-de-Monts
18, 19 July	21eme Festival de Peinture Artists are invited to set up their easels for the weekend, and produce a work of art that will be judged on Sunday. (All entries go on show on Sun from 3pm in the gardens of the Mairie.)	Magné, near Maillezais
18, 19 July	Salon du Livre Vendéen A book fair specialising in publications on the Vendee, its history and its traditions, in the atmospheric setting of a recreated hideout of the 18^th-century Vendée wars. Entertainment around the same theme.	Refuge de Grasla, Les Brouzils, nr St Denis la Chevasse
18 July 2010	Puces Lignéronnaises July edition of the Vendée’s largest open-air flea-market. 9am-7pm. 1€.	St Christophe du Ligneron, near Challans
late July	Fête du Lin A day devoted to the growing, harvesting and many used of flax/linen. Entertainment from 2pm; fashion parade at 6pm.	Aire de Loisirs “L”Eau Vive”; St-Paul-Mont-Pénit, near Aizenay
late July	Journée Luçonnaise du Cheval, du Chien et du Chat An action-packed day, with events for riding and driving horses; dog show .and obedience displays; and sales of horses, dogs and cats as well as of rare breeds of poultry.	Hippodrome (race track),Base des guiffettes, near Luçon.

late July	Festival de Terre-Neuve French plays performed in the open air in front of the lovely Chateau de Terre-Neuve.	Château de Terre-Neuve, Fontenay-le-Comte (tel : 02 51 36 93 60)
Late July- mid Aug	Musiques à La Chabotterie Annual festival of baroque music in the courtyard and garden of the Logis de la Chabotterie.	Logis de la Chabotterie, St-Sulpice-le-Verdon. (tel : 02 51 43 31 01).
22-23 July	La Fête du Miel en Folie Events centred around the production of honey, wuth beekepers on hand to demonstrate their skills. 10.30am-7pm.	La Folie de Finfarine, Poiroux, near Avrillé
late July	Les Mysteres de Gilles de Rais Lively medieval-style entertainment and son-et-lumiere type show performed by costumed locals around the jagged ruin of a castle that once belonged to the notorious child-killer Gilles de Rais. 9pm (food available from 8pm). 15 euros, children under 12 6 euros.	Machecoul (44), near Challans (tel: 02 40 31 42 87)
22 July 2010	Autrefois . . . Challans Wonderful old-time fair days throughout this pleasant market town, with traditional activities and a good deal of family fun. 9am-7pm. Admission free.	Challans
late July	Broc à Brem Annual brocante fair, Place de la Poste	Brem-sur-Mer
25 July 2010	Fête de la Bouse Annual cow-pat festival in the marshland village of Triaize, with cow-pat throwing, cooking over cow-pat fires and other delights. Also a brocante fair.	Triaize, near La Tranche-sur-Mer
late July	Fete de la Caille The annual quail festival by the shore of the lake, with afternoon entertainment and an evening meal based around Maché’s famous little birds.	Rue du Moulin-a-Eau, Maché, near Aizenay

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.

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