The best annual festivals and events in the Dordogne

ANNUAL EVENTS CALENDAR

January:

• “Comic Strip Festival” a massive 4-day event (third largest in the world) held at the end of January in Angouleme.
• Truffle Festival Sarlat an event on the third weekend in January celebrating every aspect of the Perigord black truffle (Dordogne) 

March:

• “Fest de l’Oie” this annual goose fair is held over 2 days in early March in Sarlat-le-Caneda with geese parading through the town, cookery demonstration much consuming of goose (Dordogne)

May:

• “Fete de la Fraise” in Beaulieu Sur Dordogne, held on the second Sunday in May in celebration of strawberries including the making of an 8ft strawberry tart (Dordogne)
• "Fete des Fraises et des Fleur" in Vergt on 19th May 2019 with up to 15 000 visitors (Dordogne)
• “Fetes des Fromages Fermier” celebrating cheese in Rocamadour on Whit Sunday 
• “Les Floralies” St Jean de Cole, a huge floral festival held the second weekend in May(Dordogne)

June:

• World Music Festival 21st June 2019 celebrated across France
• Lamb festival in Bellac with the Grand Chapter of the Lamb Brotherhood and a procession (Limousin)

June and July:

• “Itinéraire Baroque” in the Green Périgord. A festival dedicated to Baroque music and Romanesque architecture (Dordogne)
• The good eating festival at Piages in the Périgord-Limousin Regional Nature Park (Dordogne)
• Chefs’ roundtable at the Lanaud Centre in Boisseuil: demonstrations of recipes using limousin beef and catering (Limousin)
• Snail Festival in La Coquille (Dordogne)

July:

• Filibree is a festival on July 5th-7th highlighting everything Occitan including the language and culture. Its location moves each year and for 2019 thousands will flock to Perigueux for the event (Dordogne)
• Blues Passions Festival in Cognac from July 4th-8th in celebration of blues and featuring major Blues players
• French National Day 14th July celebrated across France, Mialet has a huge Vide Grenier and Fireworks
• “Festival des Jeux du Théâtre” in Sarlat, this theatre festival is one of the most famous in France (Dordogne)
• “L’été musical en Bergerac” an eclectic programme of events at some of the region’s most famous historic sites (Dordogne)
• “Souillac en Jazz” International jazz festival from 13th-20th July in Souillac
• “Vezere Festival” 39^th annual classic music festival played in venues across the area around Brive (Dordogne)
• “Bastille Day” 14^th July celebrated national holiday across France. Large vide grenier, food event and fireworks held in Miallet
• "Fete du Cognac" 25th-27th July a major event in the Charente region where you can try Cognac, Pineau and Charente wines alongside local produce (Charente)
• “Festival International des Arts du Mime et du Geste, Mimos” in Périgueux 23rd to 28th July. For one week, street theatre and mime take over the town (Dordogne)  

August:

• “Itinérance Médiévale en Vallée du Dropt”, from 7th -31st August in the Bergerac region you can relive the Middle Ages in all its glory! (Dordogne)
• “Flamenco Festival” in Bergerac where the town adopts Spanish rhythms at this 3-day event attracting leading names from the flamenco world 
• Limousin beef day at Saint-Léonard de Noblat (Limousin)

August and September:

• “Sinfonia en Périgord”, near Périgueux. A festival showcasing Baroque music 

August to October:

• “Festival de Musique du Périgord Noir” in Montignac. The Aquitaine’s largest festival, featuring over 20 classical music concerts 

September:

• “Vintage Days” in Perigueux a three-day event on the first weekend in Sept. Celebrating everything vintage including over 100 old vehicles parked in the centre 
• “Hot Air Balloon Festival” in Rocamadour at the end of September, is a massive festival dedicated to hot air balloons
• Snail festival at Boisseuil (Limousin)
• Toques and Porcelain at Limoges: tastings, exhibition to combine Limoges porcelain and Limousin gastronomy.
• Hemp festival at Cognac la Forêt (Limousin)
• Ovine Tech at Bellac which is a trade fair where sheep take pride of place (Limousin)
• French Cuisine Festival 

October:

• Fetes de la Chataigne (Chestnut Festival) Dornazac last weekend in the month
• Ancient apple varieties day at Magnac-Bourg
• Frairie des petits ventres gastronomy festival in Limoges every 3rd Friday in October in the Boucherie quarter.
• Sweet chestnut festival at Dournazac (Limousin)

November:

• “Rue des métiers d’Art” in Nontron. This fair brings together the best artisans in a delightful setting and is THE show for rural arts and crafts! (Dordogne)
• “La Foire du Livre” Brive huge book event
• Annual Turkey festival in Varaignes on November 11th celebrating all things Turkey and including a Bourru and chestnut fest. 10,000-15 000 visitors each year (Dordogne)
• Apples and other local fruit at Mortemart by the West Limousin apple crunchers association (Limousin)
• Orchard apple festival at Saint-Just le Martel (Limousin)
• Gourmet book festival in Perigueux held every 2 years on the odds. Includes cookery demos, food pairing and other culinary delights (Dordogne)
• New Beaujolais third Thursday in Month

December:

• Christmas markets in the centre of both Limoges and Perigueux
• Capon festival at Blond (Limousin) with a Brotherhoods’ procession and capon racing
• Christmas markets in Limoges and the Haute-Vienne