From another excellent website more worhtwhile events to come to France for in the summer of 2009. With so much to do (and these events are but a drop in the bucket), and -- with the special offer at Chateau Lalinde -- why would you even think about going anywhere else?
La Nuit des Rollers | | 27 March 2009 | Bordeaux, Gironde | | Amateurs and enthusiasts alike gather in the Place Pey Berlan for the monthly organised skates across the city's central streets. | |
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| Festival du Boudin - The black pudding festival | | 14-16 March 2009 | Mortagne-au-Perche, Orne | | The black pudding festival celebrates everything to do with the great blood sausage. | |
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| Marathon des Grands Crus | | October 2009 | Marsannay la Côte | | Following the picturesque wine routes of Dijon, the Grand Crus Marathon has to be one of the world's most scenic races, with the added bonus of a top class glass of vin at the end! | |
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| ASP World Qualifying Series - Rip Curl Pro | | August 2009 (Annual) | Hossegor | The Plage de la Graviere in Hossegor, one of the west coast's largest surf destinations, hosts the Rip Curl Pro, part of the ASP World Qualifying Series. The waves here are mostly beach…
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| Les Belles Champenoises d'Epoque - Vintage car fair | | 7-8 March 2009 | Reims, Marne | Every year, vintage car enthousiasts from across France and further afield flock to Reims' Parc des Expositions for its vintage car fair. | |
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| Tapis Rouge - The antiques festival | | 1 October 2009 | Lyon | | On the first Thursday of October, a huge red carpet is rolled out down the Rue Auguste Comte, the antiques quarter in the heart of Lyon to celebrate the antiques festival. | |
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| Strasbourg's Contemporary Art Fair | | November 2009 | Strasbourg |
Central and Eastern Europe is the theme for Strasbourg's 13th Contemporary Art Fair which takes places at the Wacken exhibition centre. The event gives visitors the opportunity to experience the rich cultural heritage of these countries along with current creative trends.
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| Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe | | October 2009 (Annual) | Paris | | Held at the world-renowned Longchamp racecourse, the Prix de l'Arc de Triomphe sees equine athletes from around the world competing to take away the €4 million prize fund, making it the world's most richly rewarded turf race. | |
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| Festival Guitares du Monde | | 20-28 March 2009 | Troyes, Aube | | This annual music festival, held in St-André-les-Vergers on the outskirts of Troyes, is a showcase for guitarists from around the world. | |
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| Festival Vidéoformes | | 11- 14 March | Clermont - Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme | | The Vidéoformes festival celebrates new media and digital art forms with a programme of screenings and exhibitions throughout the town. | |
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| Paris Gay Pride | | June 2009 (Annual) | Paris | | The romantic, enchanting city of Paris celebrates Gay Pride at the end of June with a massive parade that draws more than 500,000 spectators and participants as well as a series of parties, balls, and other lively events. | |
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| Coupe Icare | | September 2009 (annual) | Saint - Hilaire du Touvet | The oldest free flight festival in the world, the Coupe Icare, is a two-day celebration of all aircraft that rely on nature to keep them in the air.
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| Montgolfière en Velay | | November 2009 | Le Puy-en-Velay | | The sky above Le Puy-en-Velay will be dotted with multicoloured hot-air balloons for this international ballooning event. | |
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| Chicken Festival Saint Sever | | December 2009 (Annual) | Clôtres Jacobins, Saint-Sever | The medieval town of Saint-Sever is very proud of its chicken population, which it celebrates every year at the Clôtre des Jacobins during Festivolailles. Visitors can taste the town's famous…
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| Le Grand Déballage de Brocante - Flea Market | | 8 March | Bordeaux - Gironde | | One of France's largest flea markets, Bordeaux's Grand Déballage de Brocante, takes place four times a year. | |
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| The Gypsie's Pilgrimage | | 24 - 25 May 2009 (Annual) | Saintes Maries de la Mer | The village of Saintes Maries de la Mer hosts an international gathering of gypsies, who come to honour their saint, Sara the Black.
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| Le Printemps du Rire | | 24 March - 4 April 2009 | Toulouse - Haute - Garonne | | Venue across Toulouse will host the annual Printemps du Rire comedy festival. It showcases the best in stand-up, comic drama and musical interpretation. | |
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| Twins Festival | | August 2009 (annual) | Pleucadeuc | | There's double trouble in the small town of Pleucadeuc in Brittany during the annual Jumeaux festival, Europe's biggest gathering of twins. | |
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| Cannes Film Festival | | 13 - 24 May 2009 (Annual) | Cannes | The Cannes Film Festival (French: le Festival de Cannes), founded in 1946, is one of the world's oldest, most influential and prestigious film festivals alongside Venice and Berlin.
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| Toulouse Violet Festival | | February 2010 | Toulouse | Any gardeners reading will know that February is flowering season for violets, which also happen to be the emblematic flower of Toulouse. | | | |
