Events and festivals in Centre-Val de Loire on 17–18 October: the Bonnu witch burns on Sunday night, the Grands Feux de La Borne light up, the Salon Aux Vignobles sets up in Chartres.
Sunday night, in a hamlet by Lake Éguzon. At Bonnu, in the commune of Cuzion in the Indre, a witch burns this weekend. Events and festivals in Centre-Val de Loire on 17–18 October: the Bonnu witch burns on Sunday night, the Grands Feux de La Borne light up, the Salon Aux Vignobles sets up in Chartres.
The witch of Bonnu
Bonnu en Sorcellerie takes place on Sunday 18 October in the hamlet of Bonnu, which has 40 permanent residents and welcomes several thousand visitors. The festival began in 1995: a group of friends revived the celebration of Saint Luke, the village's patron saint, and turned it towards witchcraft, a staple of Berry folklore.
The day opens with a mass and a procession at the chapel. The regional produce market offers the « bewitching » black pudding. Stilt walkers, magicians, brass bands and percussion groups move through the streets, while children are face-painted, make brooms and parade as mini-witches.
The château, a 13th-century fortress above the bends of the Creuse, serves as the stage for a play about witches and Berry legends. In the park, villagers lead small groups on storytelling walks.
At nightfall, the witch's pyre lights up the hamlet. Fireworks are fired from the château, then a village dance closes the evening.
The festival starts at 10 am and runs late into the night.
From the Cher to Touraine
The Grands Feux de La Borne start on Saturday and run until 25 October. Ceramicists from around the world gather around the hamlet's wood-fired kilns, between Henrichemont and Morogues: 24 workshops and kilns open to the public, kiln openings, exhibitions, talks and screenings. Most activities are free.
Saint-Amand-Montrond kicks off the Foires d'Orval, founded in 1431. Fairground rides set up on place de la République, place Jean-Girault, cours Manuel and cours Fleurus. Entry to the fairs is free, the rides are paid.
First weekend of the All Saints school holidays at Noirlac Abbey, in Bruère-Allichamps. Au Creux de l'Oreille offers songs, tales, concerts, workshops and playful tours of the Cistercian abbey on Saturday and Sunday. Shows cost 5 to 8 euros, workshops and games are free.
At Chartrexpo, the Salon Aux Vignobles brings together 160 winemakers, craftspeople and producers from all over France, with guided tastings. It opens Saturday from 10 am to 8 pm and Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Entry is 5 euros on site, free when booked online, and the tasting glass is 2 euros.
In Tours, Mauvais Tours ends on Sunday: previews, a short-film competition, film concerts and masterclasses around horror, fantasy and science fiction, at the Cinémas Studio, Le Bateau Ivre and the Conservatoire. In Montlouis-sur-Loire, the Forest and Wood Festival takes over the 55-hectare park of the Château de la Bourdaisière: lumberjacks with horses, chainsaw sculptors, joiners, and guided walks with foresters from the Office national des forêts.
The Lisztomanias in Châteauroux, founded in 2002, run until 21 October: concerts, recitals, lectures and a piano academy. About 5,000 spectators attend.