Your month-by-month
guide
Whether you're planning your stay around a specific event or simply want to know what's on while you're here, this month-by-month guide to festivals and events in the Dordogne in 2026 is a good place to start. From Périgord Black Truffle celebrations and village fêtes to world-class music, vintage extravaganzas and one of the planet's great comic festivals, there's a remarkable variety on offer throughout the year.
Sitting close to the borders of Charente, Corrèze and Haute-Vienne, Beaux Souvenirs is well placed for events across all these departments, and we're always happy to point you in the right direction or share a tip or two about the ones we know well.
January
- Bande Dessinée (Comic Strip Festival) - Angoulême (Charente) The third largest comic festival in the world, held over four days at the end of January. A spectacular event drawing international artists and fans from across the globe. 1 hour 15 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs bdangouleme.com
- Truffle Festival - Sarlat (Dordogne) Third week of January. A dedicated celebration of the Périgord Black Truffle with market stalls, demonstrations and tastings. 1 hour 10 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
- La Fête de la Truffe - Sorges (Dordogne) Last Sunday in January. Home to the Truffle Museum, Sorges draws large crowds to this much-loved festival, featuring demonstrations, cooking competitions, and a giant banquet. 30 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
February
- Horse Racing & Events - Arnac-Pompadour (Corrèze), France's National Stud holds equestrian events every month from February through October. 1 hour from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Marché aux truffes de Thiviers - finishes first weekend of February, just a 19-minute drive from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Limoges Japan Geek Festival - Limoges, 7-8 February, Parc des Expositions, this is pop culture at its best. 49 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
March
- Fête de l'Oie (Goose Festival) - Sarlat-la-Canéda (Dordogne) Two days in early March with geese parading through the town, cookery demonstrations, and a fine excuse to celebrate all things goose. 1 hour 10 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs (sarlat-tourisme.com).
- Festival du dessin de presse et de la caricature - Léguillac-de-l'Auche (Dordogne) 28-29 March 2026 — a press-cartoon and caricature festival in a village near Périgueux, 55 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
- Festival CDNA - Limoges, 13-14 March, the Cinémathèque de Nouvelle-Aquitaine's festival of regional film archives, including a cine-concert of Hitchcock's Blackmail. Niche but charming, 50 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
April
- Châteaux en Fête - Throughout the Dordogne, from 11th April to 3rd May, when over 100 châteaux open their doors for special festivities and tours. Various locations, many within 30-60 minutes of Beaux Souvenirs (chateauxenfete.com)
- Journées Européennes des Métiers d'Art (European Artistic Crafts Days) - Nationwide, 7-12 April 2026. France's celebration of artisan skills takes place when workshops and studios across the country open their doors. The Périgord Nontronnais programme runs 11-12 April: leatherwork demonstrations at the Métiers d'Art boutique in Nontron, the weavers' and charentaise slipper museum at Varaignes, live forge and metallurgy at Étouars, and ceramics workshops, with a minibus tour of the sites on the Sunday. Everything is free. 26 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs (journeesdesmetiersdart.fr)
May
- Snail Festival - Bertric-Burée (Dordogne) First weekend in May in celebration of the edible snail. Nearly 100,000 snails are cooked in huge vats and devoured by locals and visitors from all over France. All day, including a vide-grenier and a very large communal evening feast.
- Les Floralies - Saint-Jean-de-Côle (Dordogne) Second weekend in May. A spectacular floral festival in one of France's most beautiful villages, attracting over 10,000 visitors. Just 25 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs - highly recommended!
- Fête de la Fraise - Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (Corrèze) Second Sunday in May, with strawberries taking centre stage - including the making of an 8-foot strawberry tart! 2 hours 13 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
- Fête des Fraises et des Fleurs - Vergt (Dordogne) Third weekend in May. The Dordogne's strawberry capital hosts this strawberry-and-flower festival, drawing up to 15,000 visitors. 1 hour 13 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
- Fête des Fromages Fermier - Rocamadour (Lot) Whit Sunday cheese festival in the breathtaking hilltop village of Rocamadour. 2 hours 15 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
June
- Rendez-vous aux Jardins - Now it its 23rd year throughout France, June 5-7. Over 2,800 gardens, from historic to private, open across France and 20 other European countries to promote all aspects of gardening. Various locations. (rendezvousauxjardins.culture.gouv.fr)
- Fête de la Musique (World Music Day) on 21 June is an annual event held on the summer solstice in cities, towns and villages across France. Each place becomes the venue, with music spilling from bars and squares late into the evening. You'll hear everything from polished classical players to village teenagers with their first band, and it's all free.
- Jazz Pourpre en Périgord - Bergerac (Dordogne) June 11-14, 2026, featuring jazz concerts across the town. 1 hour 35 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Festival International des Arts du Mime et du Geste (MIMOS) - Périgueux (Dordogne) June 30 - July 4, 2026. Founded in 1983 in honour of mime artist Marcel Marceau, this festival celebrates nonverbal performance including mime, puppetry, clowning and hip-hop. 53 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs (odyssee-perigueux.fr)
July
- Félibrée - Abjat-sur-Bandiat (Dordogne) July 3-5 2026. Now in its 105th year, this three-day festival celebrating Occitan language and culture is one of the most authentic events in the Dordogne calendar. 18 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Tour de France - Périgueux Stage (Dordogne), France's iconic bike race stops overnight in Périgueux on July 11 2026. A rare chance to experience the Tour de France atmosphere up close. 53 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Bastille Day - Throughout France, July 14th. France's national holiday is marked with village fêtes, communal gatherings, music and spectacular fireworks displays - including celebrations right here in Mialet and the surrounding villages.
- Cognac Blues Festival - Cognac (Charente) Six days in early July. Running since the 1990s and featuring top blues artists from around the world, this is one of the great music festivals in southwest France. 1 hour 46 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs (bluespassions.com).
- Souillac en Jazz - Souillac (Haute-Vienne) is an international week-long jazz festival in its 50th edition, held each July, with concerts in caves, the abbey church, and town squares, plus free street performances, exhibitions, and workshops in the charming town of Souillac (Lot), 1 hr 47 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Festival des Jeux du Théâtre - Sarlat (Dordogne), last two weeks of July. Now in its 73rd year, with over 18 shows featuring prominent actors and directors against the backdrop of medieval Sarlat. 1 hour 46 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs (festival-theatre-sarlat.com).
- The Vézère Festival - Brive area (Corrèze) July 16-19, 2026. A celebration of classical music in all its forms across a variety of venues. 1 hour 36 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs (festival-vezere.com)
August
- Fête du Couteau - Nontron, 1-2 August 2026, the 30th edition: a hundred cutlers, artisans, and creators from around the world in the birthplace of France's oldest folding knife, with forge demonstrations and knife-throwing displays; entry: 5€; 26 minutes away from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Marché de potiers - Brantôme (Dordogne) Tuesday 4 August 2026. A potters' and ceramicists' market in the loveliest possible setting, beside the water in the "Venice of the Périgord" browse, buy, and make a day of it with the abbey and a riverside lunch. 37 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Summer Musical in Bergerac - Bergerac and surrounding area (Dordogne), first two weeks of August. Live music and traditional dance are performed against the backdrop of historic sites and monuments. 1 hour 35 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs
- Folklore Festival - Confolens (Charente) 2nd week of August - dances, music and customs from around the world, which attracts 1000's to see this colourful event - 1 hour 4 mins from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Gourmet nights - Périgueux, 16 July - 20 August. In a friendly, musical atmosphere, nearly a hundred producers, artisans, and merchants offer local products for enjoyment at large tables. Concerts are held every Thursday evening on the Place de la Clautre. Historic centre from 7 pm to 11.30 pm.
- Vintage Days - Périgueux (Dordogne) Last weekend in August. Three days of everything vintage - fashion, dancing and car parades featuring over 100 vehicles, with shops and restaurants across the city joining in. 53 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs - one of our favourites! (perigueuxvintagedays)
September
- EuroMulet - Saint-Léonard-de-Noblat (Haute-Vienne) 5-6 September. A European gathering of mules and muleteers in this UNESCO-listed medieval town: parades, working demonstrations and a weekend of rural France at its most wonderfully specific. 1 hour 15 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Courses de Pompadour - Arnac-Pompadour (Corrèze) Sunday 6 September, the final meeting of the season. Racing beneath the château of the National Anglo-Arab Stud, one of the most picturesque courses in France. Entry: 6€. There's a panoramic restaurant if you make a day of it. 1 hour from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Legend'Air en Limousin - Saint-Junien (Haute-Vienne) 12-13 September. A vintage air show in the tradition of the 1950s country air pageants: historic aircraft in flight and on the ground, aerobatic displays, and classic cars and motorbikes on the grass. Free entry and wonderfully retro. 40 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Circuit des Remparts - Angoulême (Charente) 18-20 September. Historic motor racing through the streets of the old town on a circuit unchanged since 1939, once graced by Fangio himself. A Concours d'Élégance on Friday evening (free), rallies and classic car displays on Saturday, and racing on Sunday. Think of it as the Goodwood Revival in French. 1 hour 20 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days) - Nationwide 19-20 September. The weekend when châteaux, manor houses and historic buildings normally closed to the public open their doors, many free of charge. Ask us for local recommendations during your stay.
October
- Cep and Veal Festival - Saint-Saud-Lacoussière (Dordogne). On the first Sunday in October every year, the village transforms into a capital of gastronomy. For over thirty years, the Cep and Veal Festival has celebrated two treasures of the Périgord region: the king of the woods mushroom and the tender meat of calves raised on their mother's milk, a farming tradition recognised by a Label Rouge (Red Label) certification. 10 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Fête de la Châtaigne (Chestnut Festival) - Dournazac (Haute-Vienne) Last weekend in October. A wonderful local celebration with chestnut tastings, products and demonstrations in a village that takes its chestnuts very seriously. 12 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Rue des Métiers d'Art - Nontron (Dordogne) 23-25 October. A showcase bringing together the finest rural artisans in a lovely setting - the unmissable event of the year for lovers of crafts and handmade work. 26 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Frairie des Petits Ventres - Limoges (Haute-Vienne) Friday 16 October held every year on the third Friday of October since 1973 in the old Boucherie district, when nearly 40,000 people fill the butchers' quarter for a day and evening of Limousin specialities: boudin, clafoutis, flognarde, chestnut everything, folk bands, and a candlelit procession at 6 pm. Free entry, and gloriously, unapologetically French. 50 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
November
- Fete de la Pomme (Apple Fair) - Sainte-Anne-Saint-Priest (Haute-Vienne) 5 November. A charming rural fair with everything apple - from tastings and produce to local traditions. 1 hour 25 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- La Foire du Livre de Brive (Brive Book Festival) - Brive-la-Gaillarde (Corrèze) - 44th edition 6-8 November.The Brive Book Fair is one of the major events in French literary life, with general literature, children's literature and comics. A rich program of meetings, conferences and readings, 1 hour 30 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Gourmet Book Festival - Périgueux (Dordogne) November 13-15, 2026. Authors promote their cookbooks through food tastings, local produce and cookery demonstrations - a treat for food lovers. 53 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- La Foire aux Dindons (Turkey Festival) - Varaignes (Dordogne) November 11th. Turkeys running through the village streets, bourru (young wine), and chestnut celebrations make this one of the most entertaining and eccentric events in the local calendar. 43 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Beaujolais Nouveau Day - Throughout France, the third Thursday in November. The arrival of the first bottled wine of the year is marked in restaurants and bars across the region. Various locations
December
- Marché aux truffes de Thiviers - (Dordogne) opens the first weekend of December, Saturday mornings through winter. 20 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Christmas Markets - Limoges (Haute-Vienne) and Périgueux (Dordogne) Throughout December. Traditional Christmas markets with crafts, gifts, food and a festive atmosphere in two of the region's most handsome cities. 45-55 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
- Foire aux Chapons (Capon Festival) - Blond (Haute-Vienne) December 13th. More than 10,000 visitors descend on the village to watch the Brotherhood procession and the thoroughly entertaining spectacle of capon racing. 1 hour 4 minutes from Beaux Souvenirs.
Plan your visit around festivals & events
There's rarely a week between April and October when something isn't happening within easy reach of Beaux Souvenirs, and even the quieter winter months have their moments, from truffle banquets in January to capon racing in December.
We keep this guide as up to date as possible and are always happy to help with recommendations, directions, and insider knowledge that doesn't always appear on official websites. Some of our closest favourites include the Floralies in Saint-Jean-de-Côle (25 minutes), the Félibrée in Abjat-sur-Bandiat (18 minutes) and Vintage Days in Périgueux (53 minutes).
Whether you're drawn to food festivals in the Dordogne, music events from blues to classical, or something altogether more eccentric like the Snail Festival on our doorstep, there's always a good reason to time your stay around what's on.
Things to See & Do
Mialet
A pretty village with genuine French character, a bakery, a butcher, and a brasserie with a bar, all within a five-minute walk of Beaux Souvenirs.
Top 12 Attractions
Here are the twelve places in our region we think you simply shouldn't miss. We've visited every one, so we can personally vouch for them.
What to See in Our Region
Castles, caves, cities, gardens, Roman remains and medieval villages, all within a 2-hour drive, with distances and times to help you plan.
Where & What to Eat
From village brasseries to Michelin-starred dining, this region is a food lover's paradise. Think truffles, foie gras, duck and artisan markets piled with local produce.
Festivals & Events
With food fairs, music festivals, national celebrations, and some wonderfully eccentric local events, there is something happening nearby throughout the year.
Sports & Outdoors
From walking, cycling, golf, and horse riding to zip-wiring and vélorail adventures, this region rewards the active as much as the relaxed. Our doorstep guide covers it all.