Marseille opens its santons fair. Events and festivals for the weekend of November 14 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: the Marseille Santons Fair opens on Saturday, along with the Aubagne market and Valbonne's festival for young audiences.
Saturday, on the Quai du Port. The Marseille Santons Fair sets up its stands there, facing the Town Hall, on Saturday, November 14, 2026. Marseille opens its santons fair. Events and festivals for the weekend of November 14 in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur: the Marseille Santons Fair opens on Saturday, along with the Aubagne market and Valbonne's festival for young audiences.
The Santons Fair on the Old Port
The Marseille Santons Fair opens on 14/11/2026 and stays in place until January 3, 2027. Founded in 1803, it is the oldest santons fair in France.
About twenty craftsmen santon makers take over the Quai du Port, in the heart of the Old Port, and sell nativity figurines handmade in Provence. The word santon comes from the Provençal santoun, "little saint".
A santon is a hand-painted clay figurine, and each santon maker wears a certification badge: the pieces are made entirely in their own workshop, in Provence. Sizes range from tiny "flea" santons a few centimeters tall to large dressed figurines, with nativity accessories, sets and miniature landscapes.
The opening begins with a Mass in Provençal at the Saint-Ferréol les Augustins church. A ribbon cutting, a tour of the stands and Provençal folk dances follow. The Union des Fabricants de Santons de Provence organizes the fair.
Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free.
Aubagne and Valbonne the same day
The Aubagne Santons and Ceramics Market also starts on Saturday, November 14, on the Cours Maréchal Foch. Since 1968, a village of chalets there has brought together about forty santon makers, nativity scene makers and ceramists from the Pays d'Aubagne and the Étoile. In 2023, listeners of France Bleu Provence voted it the best santons market in Provence.
The craftsmen of the Galerie Argilla stand alongside the independent santon makers of the Aubagne basin: hand-painted santons, traditional and contemporary nativity scenes, decorative ceramics, terracotta jewelry. The market opens daily from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. until December 27, with free admission. The regional TER train puts Aubagne twenty minutes from Marseille.
In Valbonne Sophia Antipolis, the Enfantillages Festival opens at the Pré des Arts the same Saturday and runs until November 28. The town organizes this event for young audiences, around the Rights of the Child.
Theater, puppetry, circus, clown and contemporary dance are aimed at children from age 2, performed by professional companies from the region, the country and abroad, with film screenings for children and creative workshops around the performances. Shows are free. Booking is mandatory, online or at the Valbonne town hall reception desk.