Events and festivals in France this weekend of October 17: the Saint-Luc fair in Gavray, Templiers in Millau, Cadre Noir Musicales in Saumur and Nuits de Champagne in Troyes.
On the Saint-Luc moor, in Gavray-sur-Sienne. The fair of the Manche bocage keeps its lanes open through Sunday, October 18. Events and festivals in France this weekend of October 17: the Saint-Luc fair in Gavray, Templiers in Millau, Cadre Noir Musicales in Saumur and Nuits de Champagne in Troyes.
The Saint-Luc fair in Gavray
The Saint-Luc fair in Gavray-sur-Sienne has been known since the 12th century. More than 400 exhibitors and 60,000 visitors gather over three days on its 12 hectares, and entry is free. Held every October by the town, it brings together farmers, breeders, craftspeople, shopkeepers and fairground families.
The rotisserie lane fills the fairground with the smell of grilled meat.
The lanes fill with farm machinery, home equipment, tools, vehicles, animals and local produce. One whole stand goes to pumpkins, with a decoration contest and recipe booklets. The fair takes place around Saint Luke's day, patron saint of physicians, observed on October 18.
Funfair rides, remote-controlled vehicle demonstrations and Norman specialities mark the three days. Signposted car parks serve the site.
From the Millau trail to the lights of Thoiry
In Millau, the Festival des Templiers lines up about twenty races, from 1.5 km to over 100 km, across the Grands Causses and the Tarn and Dourbie gorges. The Endurance Trail, 99.5 km with 4,304 m of climbing, is the flagship race. The Grand Trail des Templiers, 80.7 km, remains the historic one. The festival draws more than 13,000 participants. La Belle de Millau, a charity walk, is open to everyone, and the Trail Expo fills the village beside the Tarn.
In Troyes, Les Nuits de Champagne open on 10/17/2026 for a week of French song: 56 concerts in 12 venues, from the Théâtre de Champagne to the Espace Argence, with a Grand Choral of 900 amateur singers. In Saumur, the Musicales of the Galas du Cadre Noir pair the Cadre Noir with the Orchestre de la Nouvelle Europe on October 16, 17 and 18, in a repertoire drawn from the cinema. The gala is staged in the Grand Manège at Terrefort, on a 290-hectare estate that houses more than 350 horses.
In Cognac, the Festival Polar has staged crime fiction since 1996, from literature to comics, film, television and theatre, with the Grand Prix Cognac and the Prix Polar. Entry is free. In Hyères, the International Festival of Fashion, Photography and Accessories has brought young designers into competition at the Villa Noailles since 1986, and Viktor & Rolf and Marine Serre were discovered there.
The Thoiry Lumières Sauvages season starts on Saturday, October 17, 2026 at Wow Safari: a three-kilometre trail at nightfall, nearly 3,000 hand-made light sculptures covered in silk, for a walk of about 1 hr 30. In Bourg-en-Bresse, the Hashtag Festival takes over Ainterexpo on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., with more than 60 guests around manga, cosplay, gaming and K-pop, including a cosplay contest that serves as a regional qualifier for the French Cup. In Saint-Brieuc, Couleurs de Corée offers concerts, K-pop dance, craft workshops, food and guests from Korea. The Han Blossom association runs it at the Palais des Congrès et des Expositions de la Baie, hall 1B.
On Place Jean Moulin in Château-Thierry, winegrowers from the Marne valley run the village of the Champagne et Vous festival. Each producer pours three of their cuvées, and entry is free.
At the Hashtag Festival, a one-day pass costs 13 euros in advance and 14 euros at the door. The weekend pass rises to 18 euros in advance and 20 euros at the door, and children under 8 get in free.