Bastille Day or Fête Nationale July 14 is France's national day, public holiday and an excuse for a party in virtually every city and town in the country. Feria style summer festival of the South These festivals have a few things in common: They all occur in the summer months, involve bullfighting of some description and serious revelry for days on end. Feria d'Arles is the first major festival of the south as it is held every Easter. Arles is an ancient city built by the Romans near Marseille. 
Feria de Nîmes is one of the largest festivals in Europe. Held in late may each year in the ancient city of Nîmes in the Languedoc-Roussillon Region Feria de Mont-de-Marsan or Fêtes de la Madeleine takes place in the Landes town of Mont-de-Marsan in mid July. Fêtes de Bayonne are a series of festivals in the Basque town of Bayonne, Aquitaine. It starts on the first Wednesday of August and draws up to 1.5 million visitors making it the largest festival in France. Feria de Béziers every August over 5 days attracting a million visitors. Beziers is near Montpellier. Fêtes de Dax in the Landes Departement runs in mid August for six days and attracts over half a million visitors. Other major Feria in the south include: Aire-sur-Adour, Alès, Beaucaire , Carcassonne, Casteljaloux, Céret, Collioure, Condom, Eauze, Floirac, Fréjus, Hagetmau, Istres, Palavas-les-Flots, Saint-Gilles, Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer, Ondres, Parentis-en-Born, Saint-Vincent-de-Tyrosse, Vic-Fezensac, Saint-Sever 
Caranaval de Nice is a the main winter event on the Riviera held 12-28 February. Nice is major city on the Mediterranean coast near the Italian border. 
Carnaval de Dunkerque is the main springtime event in northern France, the Dunkirk Carnival incorporates both a spectacular street procession and a series of balls, which take place over a six-week period. Wine Festivals Beaujolais Nouveau festival is held annually on the third Thursday of November. This is an unusual celebration of a special wine from Beaujolais in the Burgundy Region that is only weeks old. It has become something of a national celebration. Article from Wine Spectator on Beaujolais Nouveau. Bordeaux Wine Festival 24 Jun 2010 - 27 Jun 2010 Each year Bordeaux celebrates what it does best with a fantastic four-day festival in celebration of wine. The event includes a parade of exceptional Bacchus floats, wine tastings, tours of vineyards and wine barrel races, not to mention plenty of great food and drink. Young and old alike can learn more about the art of wine growing at an educational exhibition called 'Vintage Grapes'. The celebrations come to an end on the final Sunday with a spectacular riverside fireworks display that illuminates the night sky. Film Festivals Cannes Film Festival is perhaps the world's best known film festival. The Mediterranean town of Cannes near Nice draws world attention every May as celebrities descend on it. Wikipedia article on Cannes Film Festival. Clermont-Ferrand Short Film Festival is France's second biggest film festival after Cannes. Amiens International Film Festival is held every November in the Picardie capital. Winter Festivals Altitude Festival in Meribel in the French Alpes. Lyon's Festival of Lights Lyon's Festival of Lights takes place on 8 December during which the people of Lyon place little candle lamps in their windows in honour of the Virgin Mary. The origins of the festival date back over 150 years to 1852 when a statue of the Virgin Mary on Fourviere Hill was to be inaugurated. The event had been postponed several times and nearly didn't happen because a ferocious storm broke over the city. But it passed quickly and the people of Lyon spontaneously lit their homes with candles and came out into the streets to celebrate, and the Festival of Lights was born. The people of Lyon continue this visually spectacular tradition to this day. The modern festival is now a four-day event where contemporary light installations illuminate the city attracting thousands of visitors. As well as a time to celebrate, the festival also acts as a forum for communication with other cities in France and around the world where the issue of light in urban planning and town dwelling is discussed Grand Parade de Paris - New Year's Day Inspired by the glitz and razzmatazz of American New Year celebrations, the Grande Parade de Paris is a fantastically showy affair that takes place in Paris on 1 January to welcome in the New Year. The procession involves choirs, marching bands and performers. The location of the Grande Parade moves each year with previous locations including Paris Grands Boulevards, Montmartre and Disneyland Paris. Since its inception in 1992, the parade has grown into one of the city's best-loved New Year celebrations and attracts thousands of spectators. The event follows the Grande Parade de Chantilly celebrations which take place the evening before on New Year's Eve in Chantilly 20km (12.5 miles) north of Paris. Medieval Festivals Battle of Agincourt reenactment Bird King Festival Sommieres Medieval Festival Balaruc-le-Vieux Medieval Festival The Paris Air Show Every other year the Paris Air Show displays all that is new in the aviation industry and looks back over some of the great historic achievements in this field. Open initially to the trade, the show welcomes the public during the closing weekend. Attractions include impressive flying displays and exhibitions showcasing the latest cutting-edge technology in the aircraft industry. The French Air Force contributes a large number of military aircraft to the flying displays and also put on a show of their own. Flight simulators, space launch vehicles, traffic control systems and anti-aircraft defence systems also feature among the exhibitions. The Air and Space Museum's permanent collections are open throughout the show. This popular event attracts about 500,000 people each year. Paris Motor Show Attracting almost 1.5m visitors, and featuring 500 brands from 30 countries, the Paris Motor Show remains the most popular automobile show in the western world. This must-see event is not just for car manufacturers and the entire automobile industry, but for all car enthusiasts too. Much more than just shows and concept cars on the stands, expect to also see “The incredible collection”, a special exhibition of the major works of the French museums and private collections; a 4WD initiation track, a karting track; accompanied driving track for young drivers (16-18), a “Rallye Jeunes” track (for 18-25); and a 360 degree virtual driver tournament, as well as car trials in urban circuits (proposed by the car makers) Cannes International Festival of Pyrotechnic Art 14, 21, 29 July and 7, 15, 24 August annually An international cast of fireworks production companies compete for the laurels awarded at Cannes – resulting in some of the most explosively spectacular evenings of the summer. The event takes place at intervals through July and August over the Bay of Cannes. The flashes, starbursts, rocket tracers and fluorescent lights reflect gloriously from the surface of the sea while the sky is filled with the light and noise of a magnificent multicoloured display. Huge crowds turn up to watch, so it is advisable to arrive early – or consider watching from a boat. At the end of the annual festival, which was first held in 1967, eight judges sit down to decide who put on the best display. Nights of Fire in Oise (North of Paris) The spectacular Nights of Fire sees the sky come alight with an incredible pyrotechnics show. Taking place within the grounds of the beautiful Chateau de Chantilly, this is far more than just a fireworks display and is guaranteed to wow young and old alike. The event dates back to 1672 when Louis II of Bourbon was saluted with an incredible festival in the castle grounds. The tradition continues to attract thousands of visitors who travel from around the world to witness this spectacular display by pyrotechnics professionals. Festival Inter-Celtic in Lorient, Brittany Each year over 650,000 visitors attend this lively festival that celebrates Celtic creative arts. During the 10-day event, over 4,500 artists travel to Lorient from all over the world to perform music, theatre and dance for the amassed crowds. Established in 1971, Celtic men and women continue to flock to the Breton harbour town of Lorient to express and celebrate their heritage. A real treat for anyone interested in Celtic culture, visitors can experience fiddle music, bagpipe lessons, Gaelic workshops and ceilidhs. There are also plenty of opportunities to sample traditional Celtic food and drink. | 
