October 2015: 10 events in France

Discover 10 events happening in France in October 2015, including Nuit Blanche in Paris, food festivals across France and a film festival in Brittany

Dinard Film Festival, Dinard, Brittany

30 September – 4 October

Film fans flock to the seaside town of Dinard for the annual British Film Festival, this year running from 30 September to 4 October. There will be showings of recent British films starring favourite actors including Stephen Mangan, Anna Maxwell Martin and James Nesbitt. Tickets for the screenings cost €5.50 and go on sale 30 minutes before the show. The pre-festival runs for a month before the festival and includes free showings of popular films such as The Imitation Game and The Theory of Everything.

www.festivaldufilm-dinard.comNuit Blanche, Paris

3 October

For a chance to see Paris as you never have before, head to the French capital on 3 October for the Nuit Blancheevent. From 7pm until 7am hundreds of museums, galleries, cinemas and even swimming pools open their doors for free for a night-time celebration of art and culture. You will find performances, light installations, concerts and exhibitions across the city and, if you make it till dawn, many town halls provide breakfast.

www.paris.frFête de la Crevette, Honfleur, Normandy

3-4 October

The crevette grise (shrimp) is a speciality of Honfleur, and is celebrated along with the town’s maritime culture with the annual Fête de la Crevette, this year on 3-4 October. The festival includes performances of sea shanties, shrimp peeling competitions and cooking demonstrations of local fish recipes.

www.ot-honfleur.frFête du Gâteau Basque, Cambo-les-Bains, Pyrénées-Atlantiques

4 October

Legend has it that Gâteau Basque has its origins in the village of Cambo-les-Bains in Pyrénées-Atlantiques. As a result, the village holds the Fête du Gâteau Basque every year to honour the pastry. Taking place this year on 4 October, the festival welcomes 13,000 visitors who come to taste the gâteau and learn to make it.

www.lafetedugateaubasque.comJazz Entre les Deux Tours, La Rochelle, Poitou-Charentes

6-10 October

Named after the two medieval towers that guard the entrance to the old port of La Rochelle, the Jazz Entre les Deux Tours festival welcomes more than a hundred musicians to the town from 6-10 October, when a mixture of internationally famous and local musicians perform in a number of concert venues across the city. Some concerts are free and there are also various photo exhibitions and educational activities on offer.

www.jazzentrelesdeuxtours.frRetour des Alpages, Annecy, Rhône-Alpes

10 October

At the beginning of autumn the cattle that have spent the summer grazing Alpine mountain pastures are bought back down the valley for the winter. This passage is celebrated in Annecy every year on the second Saturday in October (this year 10 October) with the Retour des Alpages festival. Cattle are paraded through the streets and there are craftsmen, local producers and traditional bands all gathering to celebrate thechanging seasons.

www.lac-annecy.com25e Heure du Livre, Le Mans

10-11 October

Autumn sees book-lovers descend on the town of Le Mans for the annual 25e Heure du Livre, this year taking place on 10-11 October. Welcoming around 30,000 visitors and 200 authors, the fair includes debates, author interviews, exhibitions and workshops. Part of the fair is designed to celebrate French language literature while the other part is open to all forms of writing such as comic strips, science fiction and writing for children.

www.la25eheuredulivre.frLa Semaine du Goût, across France

12-18 October

From 12-18 October the French public receive a lesson in food from well-known professionals during La Semaine du Goût. The aim is to teach children and adults about food through lessons in schools, workshops with professionals and special menus in restaurants. running for some 25 years, the initiative provides fun for all generations to learn more about food.

www.legout.comMarathon des Villages, Lège-Cap Ferret, Gironde

18 October

The beautiful peninsula of Lège-Cap Ferret in Gironde is the setting for the ninth Marathon des Villages on 18 October. The marathon winds its way through little villages, along forest trails and limestone paths and offers stunning views of the Bassin d’Arcachon and the Atlantic coast. If taking on a marathon sounds a bit ambitious, try the randonnée des villages on 17 October instead, which is a guided three-hour walk along part of the marathon course. in the evening there is a ‘pasta party’ where runners can stock up on carbs and oysters before the race the next day.

www.marathon-des-villages.comFête du Piment, Espelette, Pyrénées-Atlantiques

24-25 October

The piment d’Espelette pepper is celebrated in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques commune of the same name. The Fête du Piment runs from 24-25 October and includes a food market, while restaurants serve traditional meals and there are shows and a ceremony to bless the pepper harvest.

www.espelette.fr