Events and festivals in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on October 17-18, 2026: chestnut fair in Mourjou, cattle descent in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, mountain cooking in Megève, wine in Tain-l'Hermitage and Corbelin.
Saturday, ten in the morning, in a village of 360 people in the Cantal. At Mourjou, the chestnut fair opens its stalls this Saturday, October 17. Events and festivals in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes on October 17-18, 2026: chestnut fair in Mourjou, cattle descent in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, mountain cooking in Megève, wine in Tain-l'Hermitage and Corbelin.
The Mourjou chestnut fair
The Mourjou Chestnut and Chestnut Tree Fair fills the whole weekend of 10/17/2026, Saturday and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, and admission is free. It draws more than 20,000 visitors.
It all started in 1990. A group of young people from the village decided to create a fair devoted to the chestnut, to liven up the end of the season and help the chestnut tree make a comeback. The Association du Pélou has run it since 1995.
More than 80 exhibitors keep the market going: chestnuts and what is made from them (flour, cream, jam, liqueur), chestnut-wood objects, products from the Châtaigneraie of the Cantal. The tastings include 1.2 tonnes of roasted chestnuts, fouaces made with chestnut flour, local apple juice and more than 2,000 litres of cider.
The Maison de la Châtaigne runs the weekend with woodworking demonstrations, talks, exhibitions and workshops for children. Two hikes cross the surrounding chestnut groves. Street shows and roving brass bands punctuate the two days, with meals served on site.
Two hundred volunteers keep the fair running, more than half of the village population. The fair holds the "Plus belles fêtes de France" label, and the area is classed a Site Remarquable du Goût. The Association du Pélou also runs the Confrérie du Pélou, 22 members who defend the chestnut and the chestnut tree all year round.
What else is on in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
On Saturday in Bourg-Saint-Maurice, La Démontagnée Gourmande celebrates the return of the herds from the high pastures: the parade of Tarine and Abondance cows starts at 10:30 am, to the sound of alphorns, before more than 4,000 people. The producers' village opens at 10 am on the coach station car park, with Beaufort, Tomme de Savoie and Reblochon. A hay competition picks the best fodder in the valley, and the young farmers' ball closes the day at 8:30 pm. Access is free; the meal served on site costs 20 euros.
Megève puts mountain cooking in the spotlight until Sunday with Toquicimes, created in 2018 by chef Emmanuel Renaut: demonstrations by starred chefs, workshops, contests and a producers' market, all free. In Albertville, Le Grand Bivouac ends its week of documentary films, meetings and travel book fair on Sunday.
Wine has two dates. Vignobles en Scène, between Drôme and Ardèche around Tain-l'Hermitage, runs from Friday to Sunday with tastings, treasure hunts, a half-marathon through the vines and a banquet. In Isère, the Corbelin Wine, Terroir and Gastronomy Fair gathers about fifty exhibitors, Saturday from 2 pm to 8 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm, with Cancale oysters on Sunday at lunchtime. Entry costs 4 euros and includes a tasting glass.
Bourg-en-Bresse hosts two worlds. The Hashtag Festival sets up at Ainterexpo with more than 60 guests around manga, cosplay, gaming and K-pop; the one-day pass costs 13 euros in advance. The Youth Animation Film Festival, created in 1982, opens six days of screenings on Saturday, open to children from 18 months.
In Saint-Marcel-lès-Valence, Dracopolis brings together authors and illustrators of science fiction, fantasy and the fantastic, with book signings, a cosplay contest and dragon exhibitions. Free entry.
On Sunday only, the Pavezin Autumn Fair, in the Pilat, sets up its exhibitors from 9 am to 6 pm. The saucisse à la grappe is served from noon.
At Mourjou, the signposted car parks are free, a few minutes' walk from the village centre. Aurillac is 45 kilometres away, Figeac 35, and the D19 leads to the village from Calvinet or Cassaniouze.