What's on in the Vendee: May events

ANGELA BIRD'S

The
Vendée

May 2013
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 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
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
Until 19 May 2013	Félicie de Fauveau (1801-86), l'amazone de la sculpture Exhibition of sculpture by a 19^th-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.
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
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 (tel : 02 51 64 11 11).

1 May

FETE DU TRAVAIL
Labour Day (public holiday)

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)

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.
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
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
8 May	ARMISTICE 1945 (public holiday)
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
9 May 2013	ASCENSION DAY (public holiday)
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.
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)
15 May 2011	Vide-greniers/Brocante Car-boot & brocante fairs, Usually 10am-6pm.	Fontenay-le-Comte ; Breuil-Barret ; Le Château d’Olonne ; all Vendée.
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
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
18 May 2013	Nuit des Musées Special evening events at many museums throughout Europe.	Throughout the Vendée
Early May	La Déferlante Annual festival of street theatre in and around this seaside resort.	Saint-Jean-de-Monts
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 : Eglise St-Pierre, Les Essarts ; 24 May : Eglise St-Michel, St-Michel-Mont-Mercure
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.
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
20 May 2013	LUNDI DE PENTECOTE 2011 Whit Monday (public holiday)

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).
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.	Throughout France. Brochures from tourist offices (tel: 08 20 82 01 54)
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
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

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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