ANGELA
BIRD'S
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The |
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May 2013
WHAT'S ON IN THE VENDEE
(entries in red
indicate new additions)
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PLEASE
NOTE This website is really just a supplement
to Angela Bird’s guidebook, The Vendée (left), which gives full details |
However it is always wise to check details with organisers or tourist
offices before making a special journey. |
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Until 4 May 2013 |
La mer et
l'aventure Photographic
exhibition, with 40 images by Yvan Zedda showing the exhilarating sport of
ocean yacht racing. Tues & Fri
4-7pm; Wed & Sat 10-12.30 & 2-5.30. Admission free. |
Cedetheque de la Gaubretiere, La Gaubretiere |
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Until
5 May 2013 |
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 |
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Until 19 May 2013 |
Félicie de Fauveau (1801-86), l'amazone de
la sculpture Exhibition of sculpture
by a 19th-century royalist, catholic feminist. Fauveau supported the
Duchesse de Berry’s royalist uprising and later lived in exile in Florence.
This first retrospective of her work has been mounted jointly by the
Historial de Vendée and the Musée d’Orsay in Paris (where it will be seen
from 11 June to 15 Sept). Tues-Sun 10-6 (from 1 Apr until 7) Admission 8 euros, students 5 euros,
children free. 1 yr pass 12 euros; Vendee pass 18 euros inc other major
sites. |
Historial de la Vendée, Les Lucs sur Boulogne. |
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Until 22 Sept 2013 |
Small Couture 6 - Le style Catimini :
1972-2012 Exhibition devoted to
one of Cholet’s most successful modern textile companies, Catimini, which
specialises in cool clothes for children. It’s also a look at childhood and
how it has changed since the 1970s. |
Musée du Textile, Rue du Dr Roux, Cholet |
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Until 29 Sept 2013 |
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 (see brochure),
10am-7pm; from 1-30 June Tues & Thurs-Sun 10am-7pm One-day pass: 31€, children 22 € (if
booked in advance, 28€ & 19€); 2-day pass 46€, children 32€ (advance 41€
& 28€); 3-day pass 53€, children 38€ (advance 46€ & 33€) . Under-5s
free. |
Puy du Fou, Les
Epesses, nr Les Herbiers |
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1 May |
FETE DU TRAVAIL
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1 May 2011 |
Vide-Greniers Car-boot
sales. Usually
about 10am-6pm. |
La Caillière ; Mareuil-sur-lay-Dissais ;
Nalliers ; all Vendée. Clion-sur-Mer,
near Pornic, (Loire-Atlantique) |
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4 May 2013 |
Fête de la Bonnotte The famous early potato of Noirmoutier has
its special day. Lifted in the early morning, it will be the subject of meals
and tastings throughout the day. |
Cooperative agricole de Noirmoutier, Le Petit Chessé, nr
Noirmoutier town, Noirmoutier island. |
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4
May 2013 |
La Dunaire Montoise Annual night-time ramble for walkers
of all levels over beach, forest and marshland, with onion soup provided at
the end. Signposted routes over different lengths. Start 8.30pm for 8km & 12km routes; at
9pm for the 16km and 20km routes.
Meet on beach opposite the Odyssea congress centre. Admission 5 euros
(6 euros on the day), under-12s free. Information and entry forms from St
Jean tourist office, or on www.saint-jean-de-monts.com. |
Seafront, St-Jean-de-Monts |
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6-11 May 2013 |
10e Festival
Art et Science The
theme for this year’s festival is “From Sound to Music”. Exhibitions,
documentary film screenings and workshops. |
Noirmoutier island |
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8 May |
ARMISTICE 1945 |
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8-10May 2013 |
Vendée
Va’a Marathon
boat race, with 6-man crews paddling Polynesian-style canoes on a 100km
course from Les Sables to the Ile d’Yeu, to St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, and back. |
Start & finish Les
Sables d’Olonne |
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9 May 2013 |
ASCENSION
DAY (public
holiday) |
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9-12 May 2013 |
Quatre Jours
en Chantonnay. Four-day walking festival, with
non-competitive events for walkers of all standards, and even Friday
night-time rambles. |
Various
venues, Chantonnay area. |
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10, 11 May 2013 |
Festival La 7e Vague Brétignolles’ now-traditional Ascension-weekend event
offers an eclectic range of music for all ages, performed in the rural
countryside. Opening concert by “Colours in the Street” Starts 6pm. |
Le
Peuple, 2km NE of
Brétignolles-sur-Mer (booking & info Bretignolles tourist office; Tél.
02 51 90 12 78) |
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15 May 2011 |
Vide-greniers/Brocante Car-boot
& brocante fairs, Usually 10am-6pm. |
Fontenay-le-Comte ; Breuil-Barret ; Le
Château d’Olonne ; all Vendée. |
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10-19 May 2013 |
Saint-Jazz-sur-Vie
Annual
jazz festival, with music at La Conserverie, in church, and in the streets |
St-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie |
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11 May 2013 |
100km de Vendée/Marathon
de Vendée This
day of extreme running races also includes a « relay marathon ». From 7am;
prize-giving 2.45pm (marathons) and 6pm (100km race). Meal and dancing from
7.30pm. |
Chavagnes-en-Paillers |
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18 May 2013 |
Nuit des Musées
Special evening events at many museums throughout Europe.
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Throughout the Vendée |
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Early May |
La Déferlante Annual festival of street theatre in
and around this seaside resort. |
Saint-Jean-de-Monts |
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16 & 24 May 2013 |
Orchestre
de Vendée, conducted by Claude Bardon Haydn’s “Clock” Symphony No 101, and “Drum Roll” Symphony No 103; and
Prokofiev’s “Claissic” Symphony, inspired by Haydn’s work but with typical
Russian overtones. 8.30pm. |
16 May : 24 May : Eglise St-Michel, St-Michel-Mont-Mercure |
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19 May 2013 |
Semi-marathon
des Olonnes More than 1,000 athletes compete over a
21km course, much of it along the seafront from Les Sables to Le Chateau
d’Olonne. Starts
5pm, Parc de la Rudelière; finish, Avenue Rhin et Danube; Les Sables-d’Olonne. |
Les
Sables-d’Olonne area. |
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19 & 20 May 2013 |
Fête de la Meunerie Wonderful family days in which this attractive
village steps back in time as 800 locals carry out old crafts and traditions.
(It
is held on Whit Sunday and Monday, in odd-numbered years, alternating with
a fantastic night-time spectacle in even-numbered years.) |
Nieul-sur-l’Autise, nr Fontenay-le-Comte |
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20 May 2013 |
LUNDI DE PENTECOTE 2011 Whit Monday (public holiday) |
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24, 25 May 2013 |
Folle
Nuit A
whole afternoon and evening of concerts devoted to the music of Chopin. Fri 8pm; Sat
3pm, 5pm, 7pm, 9pm. Admission 12 euros per concert. |
Centre des Salorges, Noirmoutier town (tel : 02 51 39 01 22). |
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25, 26 May 2013 |
Fête du
Nautisme Seaside resorts and river- and canalside
villages offer the chance to try watersports such as sailing, sand-yachting,
diving, surfing, sea-angling, whale-boat racing, rowing, canoeing and wave-ski.
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Throughout France. Brochures from tourist offices |
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May 2014 |
La Biennale Procession of paper-flower-decorated floats made by people from six
different districts of the town.
Even-numbered years, at Whitsuntide. |
Fontenay le Comte |
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June 2014 |
Fete
des Fleurs Grand Whitsun event on the island
of Yeu, held in even-numbered years. Procession starts 2pm Parking de la
Chapelle, and visits most corners of the island, ending on the waterfront at
Port-Joinville at 10.30pm. with music and dancing. |
Ile d’Yeu |
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