If the gastronomic lifestyle is your only option, look at this list of food festivals in France! Cheese, including Brie, Camembert, and Roquefort, is just the tip of the iceberg for French cuisine.
We had to compile a list of favorites. Unique cuisine festivals, both large and small, occur throughout France.
Other culinary festivals in France honor the many cooking traditions for their unique flavor combinations, skilled preparations, and artistic presentations.
Some take place at the start of the season or at the end of the harvest. Festival lovers, please read on as we discuss some of the Food festivals in France.
1. Sarlat Truffle Festival in Dordogne
The area is a significant hub for black truffles, often known as “black gold” in France, and is famed for its local gastronomic pleasures.
The Sarlat Truffle Festival, which takes place mid-January, features a delectable selection of dishes and items made with the strongly scented mushroom.
Not dedicated to contemporary art, various be confused with the Belgian-style chocolate confection that resembles its appearance, the black truffle is prized for its scarcity and robust flavor.
Furthermore, Visitors to the event in Sarlat-la-Canéda can browse stalls and stands at the renowned truffle market to sample a variety of items, ranging from delicate truffle slices on toasted bread to infused oils and fresh pasta laced with it.
Cooking workshops, demonstrations, and other events are also available.
2. Food’ Angers (Loire Valley Wine & Gastronomy)
Angers is a regional hub for superb food located in the middle of the Loire Valley.
The Food’Angers festival, now in its fourth year, honors both the diversity and brilliance of Loire Valley wines (primarily whites and sparkling whites) and the creativity of local chefs and restaurants.
Furthermore, wine, beer, food tastings, culinary classes, demonstrations, and the opportunity to watch chefs compete in a live cooking competition will be available.
3. La Trace du Fromage (The Cheese Trail), Aveyron
La Trace du Fromage is a French celebration of the country’s most famous commodity, cheese, and Aveyron’s natural beauty.
Anyone can participate in this organized hike through the heart of the picturesque Aubrac area on a single Sunday. You’ll meet friendly local food producers who will let you sample their products.
You’ll almost certainly sample Laguiole cheese and aligot, a regional specialty. Warming mulled wines are another favorite.
After the hike, a two-course dinner will be served in Aubrac, capping off a long day of exploring. The trail has three different variations, ranging from a gentle stroll to a strenuous hike.
4. French Cuisine Festival
This massive festival of French gastronomy takes place in various locales throughout France every year. It allows travelers to experience traditional and imaginative new versions of these foods.
The program varies, but you can expect food stands, trucks, marketplaces, culinary demonstrations and workshops, meet-and-greets with renowned French chefs, and a focus on the region’s specialties.
Furthermore, this is one of the food festivals in France. So, If you can’t make it to France for the festivities, don’t worry: French-style dinners are held at embassies and local eateries in more than 150 countries, including maybe near you.
5. Brittany scallop Festival
This is one of the food festivals in France. Every year in one of three towns in France’s Brittany area, ultra-fresh scallops caught nearby are converted into delectable hot and cold dishes.
Furthermore, You’ll get the freshest scallops whether you want them grilled sautéed. Tastefully complementing a plate of pasta or in thin filets.
In addition, Local fishers and seafood vendors travel to the Bay of Saint-Brieuc and its surrounding port towns to sell the most delicate scallops caught in the bay and surrounding waters.
Stroll among the stalls and sample the delicate shellfish in all forms.
6. La Percée du Vin Jaune Wine Festival
La Percée du Vin Jaune is a yearly two-day celebration to honor a unique variety of local wines known as vin jaune (“yellow wine”).
Vin jaune, a lesser-known specialty, is a white wine aged in oak barrels after fermentation.
Furthermore, You will receive ten sampling tickets and a tasting lesson when you enter the festival with your visa.
Then you stroll about the town, where winegrowers have opened their cellars to the public and will gladly fill your glass and tell you about their specific product.
Apart from vin jaune, there is always music playing in the streets and a plethora of food sellers setting up a business so that you can sample a variety of other regional specialties.
In addition, the area has some exciting grower competitions and a friendly and welcoming festival atmosphere.
7. Lyon Bière Festival
The Lyon Bière Festival, organized by Bieronomy et l’Agence Tintamarre in collaboration with Le Petit Bulletin Lyon, has been a must-attend event for beer enthusiasts in France and Europe.
Attendees will have the opportunity to try a wide range of craft beers and ciders. The brewmasters can answer questions about the brewing process, new trends, and meal pairings.
The event showcases beer from France. The Czech Republic, Romania, Poland, Slovenia, Belgium, and England, with over 100 breweries in attendance.
The event will occur at La Sucrière, a significant structure in Lyon’s 2nd arrondissement dedicated to contemporary art.
8. Foire au Jambon de Bayonne (Bayonne Ham Festival)
Local artisan ham producers gather in the ancient town of Bayonne for this festival in the heart of French Basque territory to sell various traditional items.
Whole cured and smoked hams and various delights incorporating delectable meat are available from vendors (sandwiches, quiches, etc.).
Meanwhile, one deserving artisan is awarded the prize for the greatest Jambon de Bayonne each year.
Furthermore, since around 1462, this centuries-old celebration has provided an unusual and vivid glimpse into local Basque traditions.
9. Taste of Paris
What could be better than a single location where you can sample dozens of goodies from Paris’ top restaurants, patisseries, bakeries, and gourmet shops? Taste of Paris provides guests with just such a chance.
Chefs and restaurateurs assemble every year in the spring beneath the Grand Palais’ spectacular glass roof for four days of tastings, cooking demonstrations, “meet and meets” with famous and up-and-coming chefs, and culinary workshops.
This is one of th food festivals in France. Furthermore, visit the festival’s pop-up restaurants and stands for an afternoon.
You can sample sampler-sized quantities of signature dishes from some of the city’s most renowned chefs, artists, and food producers.
The event began in 2015 and is already a staple in the culinary calendar, attracting around 100 participants.
10. Bordeaux Wine Festival
Bordeaux offers one of the country’s most significant wine-themed four-day events. Although this isn’t precisely a French cuisine festival, there are plenty of food samples to go with the wine tasting.
At the Bordeaux Fête le Vin, over 1,200 winemakers gather in Bordeaux to celebrate the results of their labor. Attendees can learn about, taste, and purchase some of France’s best red wines.
Furthermore, The Tasting Pass includes a wine glass, a glass holder that fits the neck, wine samples, and one wine-tasting lesson at the Pavillon de l’Ecole du Vin de Bordeaux. The festival also includes food vendors, entertainment, fireworks, and wine.
11. Les Étoiles de Mougins
An annual international festival dedicated to food in Mougins, a hamlet near the French Riviera.
The event, which began in 2006 as a tribute to Roger Vergé, the chef of Moulin de Mougins, now attracts over 25,000 people yearly.
A hundred chefs assemble for three days at the event to share their knowledge and passion with the audience.
Cooking classes, demonstrations, and competitions are also part of the event. Furthermore, One Day is dedicated to families, with activities and courses focused on food specifically for children.
12. The Savoie Cheese Festival
From Reblochon to Bauges, this annual celebration travels through traditional cheesemaking cities and towns in the region.
Meet some of the region’s most significant producers and browse stands piled high with irresistible local cheeses. This is one of the food festivals in France.
In addition, Tomme de Savoie, a pressed cheese made with sheep’s or cow’s milk; Emmental (renowned for its holes); Raclette, a cheese made for melting and enjoying with heated potatoes; and the heady, pungent Reblochon are a few favorites to try.
13. The Arcachon Bay Oyster Festival
Oyster aficionados, unite! Arcachon Bay’s tranquil, temperate waters are an important center for freshly caught, excellent oysters on France’s southwest Atlantic coast.
Furthermore, The Fete de l’Huitre (Oyster Festival) takes over numerous villages along the bay annually around mid-August, including Arès.
Try the huitre (pronounced whee-truh) in its purest form: raw on the shell with lemon and buttered bread, accompanied by a glass of chilled white wine from the region.
Alternatively, try them in various cooked recipes ranging from stews to pasta.
14. Veggie World in Paris
Vegans and those looking to minimize their use of animal products should make a beeline for the 104 (Centquatre) Arts and Culture Center in Paris, which hosts this annual festival every October.
This is a unique opportunity to sample vegan culinary masterpieces and goods from around the world and participate in cooking seminars and other activities.
There’s a universe of culinary inventions here, from complex vegan cheeses to burger patties and desserts.
15. Lyon Street Food Festival
Lyon is a culinary powerhouse that many visitors ignore. The city in southeast France is home to the late chef Paul Bocuse, one of the country’s top food markets, and many Michelin-starred restaurants.
There’s also an annual street food festival for those on a tighter budget or a more adventurous palette.
The event, dubbed a “culinary road trip,” attracts more than 100 chefs and food artisans from France and around the world to the Rhone-Alpes region’s capital.
There will be workshops, cooking sessions, meetings with notable chefs, tastings, and live music.
16. Vendanges de Montmartre, Paris
This is one of the food festivals in France that is held in October. If Montmartre was initially covered with vines and prospered as an agricultural area outside the city boundaries, this event serves as a poignant reminder of that long-forgotten past.
The Vendanges festival allows you to experience local dishes and a wide range of wines. The festivities include live music, seminars, strange ceremonies, and processions with local dignitaries dressed in colorful regalia.
In summary? If you are in Paris in October, take advantage of the opportunity to celebrate the harvest.
17. Salon du Chocolat, Paris
Explore the stalls for delicious cocoa-based goodies ranging from dark, high-grade bars to chocolate truffles, pralines, cakes and patisseries, and even savory sauces.
What better way to rekindle your spring in your step during the bleak November months?
Furthermore, there’s an annual fashion event where models walk down a runway decked with chocolate.
18. Dijon International Fair
This massive trade expo in the Burgundian town of Dijon—famous for the spicy mustard named after it—includes an ample food and cuisine section.
Over ten days, visitors can participate in cooking demonstrations, gourmet tastings, culinary courses taught by local chefs, and other activities.
Because Dijon is so close to Paris, a side trip to Burgundy and the picturesque medieval town of Dijon might be a great way to break up a trip to the city in November.
19. Les Sarmentelles
Les Sarmentelles is a wine festival in Beaujeu, a commune near Mâcon in eastern France.
The occasion commemorates the production of a limited edition of Beaujolais Nouveau that year.
This red wine is prepared from Gamay grapes and fermented for only a few weeks before drinking. It is made available to the public for the first time every year on the third Thursday in November.
For decades, this five-day French wine festival has included tastings, banquets, live music, dance performances, and art markets.
Visitors can also arrange for tours of local vineyards and meet the winemakers.
