Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage
The great festival of AOP Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage cheese on the Vercors plateau
About Fête du Bleu
The Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is the unmissable annual event on the Vercors plateau, celebrating the emblematic AOP cheese of the massif since 2001. It is a travelling festival, setting up in a different village each summer between Isère and Drôme for two days of gourmet and family festivities. Over 20,000 visitors come to taste Vercouline, discover cheese-making demonstrations, browse the market of 70 producers and artisans, watch farm animal parades, and enjoy open-air concerts. Organized by SIVER and the Vercors Regional Natural Park, it perpetuates the centuries-old cheese-making tradition of Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage.
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Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage: An AOP Cheese Born in the Middle Ages
Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a cow's milk blue cheese, with origins dating back to the Middle Ages in the canton of Villard-de-Lans, on the Vercors plateau. Long renowned on French royal tables, this cheese declined in the 20th century and almost disappeared in the early 1990s. Faced with this threat, producers decided to regain control of their sector with the support of the Vercors Regional Natural Park. In 1993, they created SIVER (Syndicat Interprofessionnel du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage), basing their strategy on respect for the consumer, the farmer, their production tools, and their territory.
The cheese obtained AOC status in 1998 -- becoming the first cheese AOC entirely within a regional natural park -- and then AOP status in 2001. Its production involves combining milk from the previous day with fresh milk from the morning. After a minimum of 21 days of maturation, the cheese develops its unique character and special mildness. The specifications require that herds involved in the AOP include at least 3% of cows of the Villard-de-Lans breed, helping to preserve this local cattle breed. It is one of the smallest AOPs made from cow's milk in France, making it a rare and authentic product.
The Fête du Bleu: A Travelling Celebration Since 2001
Created in 2001 on the initiative of AOP milk producers and SIVER, the Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is an annual travelling event that sets up in a different village of the Vercors massif each summer, between Isère and Drôme. This travelling nature highlights the diversity of the plateau's communes and strengthens the link between the cheese and its region of origin. Among the villages that have hosted the festival over the years: Villard-de-Lans, Lans-en-Vercors, Autrans-Méaudre, Saint-Martin-en-Vercors, Saint-Laurent-en-Royans, Gresse-en-Vercors, and Rencurel.
For two days in July, over 20,000 visitors converge on the host village for a festive, gourmet, and convivial weekend. The festival celebrates Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage in all its forms, notably through the famous Vercouline -- blue cheese melted over potatoes or toast -- whose aroma fills the tasting tents. Over two tons of Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage are sold or tasted at each event in original culinary preparations.
A Rich Program of Activities and Discoveries
The producers' and artisans' market is the heart of the event, with around 70 exhibitors offering cheeses, cured meats, honeys, jams, wines, craft beers, and local creations. Visitors can interact directly with producers and discover the richness of the Vercors terroir. Demonstrations of Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage production allow visitors to follow all the stages of making this exceptional cheese live, from milking to aging.
Culinary workshops, led by guest chefs, reveal the many ways to cook Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage: in tarts, ravioles, verrines, sauces, or desserts. Farm animal presentations and parades -- Villard-de-Lans cows, goats, sheep, poultry -- immerse young and old in the pastoral world of the Vercors. Public milking demonstrations and an agricultural competition complete this immersion into the world of mountain farming.
Musical entertainment, open-air concerts, street shows, traditional games, and the educational farm with its milk bar make the Fête du Bleu a quintessential family event. Each edition hosts a godfather or godmother -- often a renowned chef -- who offers culinary demonstrations and highlights Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage in contemporary gastronomy.
A Unifying Event for the Vercors
Organized jointly by SIVER, the Vercors Regional Natural Park, and the host commune, the Fête du Bleu is more than just a cheese festival: it is a unifying event that showcases the entire agricultural, cultural, and natural heritage of the Vercors. By celebrating a centuries-old cheese in its region of origin, it raises public awareness of the importance of AOPs, the preservation of local breeds like Villard-de-Lans, and the maintenance of a vibrant mountain agriculture that respects its environment. The festival is part of an intergenerational approach, highlighting the Graines d'Éleveurs (Young Farmers), young ambassadors of the Vercors agricultural world.
Fête du Bleu — edition 2026
24th edition of the Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage. The annual major event for AOP Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage cheese on the Vercors plateau. Two days of festivities with a market of producers and artisans, Vercouline tastings, cheese-making demonstrations, culinary workshops with a godfather chef, farm animal parades, educational farm, open-air concerts, and family activities. Free admission.
24th Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage - 2026 Edition
The 24th edition of the Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage will be held on Saturday 25 and Sunday 26 July 2026 on the Vercors plateau. True to its tradition of itinerancy, the festival will set up in a new village of the massif to celebrate the emblematic AOP cheese of the Vercors in an authentic mountain setting. The host village will be announced in spring 2026 by SIVER and the Vercors Regional Natural Park.
The program for this new edition includes the ingredients that have made the festival successful since 2001: a large market of producers and artisans bringing together over 70 exhibitors from the Vercors and surrounding areas, Vercouline tastings and original culinary preparations with Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage, demonstrations of AOP cheese production live by producers, and culinary workshops led by an invited godfather chef.
The presentations and parades of farm animals -- including Villard-de-Lans breed cows, inseparable from the AOP -- will offer a dive into the pastoral world of the Vercors. The Graines d'Éleveurs educational farm, with its milk bar and fun activities, will allow younger visitors to discover the agricultural world interactively. Public milking and the agricultural competition will highlight the know-how of mountain breeders.
Festivities will be marked by open-air concerts, street shows, traditional games, and numerous activities for the whole family. On Saturday evening, a concert will extend the festivities in a friendly and festive atmosphere. Admission is free. Over 20,000 visitors are expected for this edition, which promises to showcase the richness of the Vercors' cheese-making, agricultural, and cultural heritage.
Highlights Fête du Bleu 2026
- 24th travelling edition on the Vercors plateau
- Over 70 exhibitors: Vercors farmers and artisans
- Vercouline tastings and preparations with Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage
- Live AOP cheese-making demonstrations
- Culinary workshops with an invited godfather chef
- Farm animal parades and Villard-de-Lans breed cows
- Graines d'Éleveurs educational farm
- Public milking and agricultural competition
- Open-air concerts and street shows
- Traditional games and family activities
- Free admission
Prices Fête du Bleu 2026
Practical information — Fête du Bleu
Practical Information
Access
The Fête du Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage is a travelling event held annually in a different village of the Vercors massif (Isère/Drôme). The SIVER headquarters is located at the Maison du Parc, 255 Chemin des Fusillés, 38250 Lans-en-Vercors. Consult the website of the Vercors Regional Natural Park to find out the host village for the current edition.
- By car: From Grenoble, take the D531 towards Vercors (approx. 30 minutes to Lans-en-Vercors). From Valence, take the D518 then the D531. Vercors villages are accessible via the Bourne gorges or the Croix Perrin pass.
- By bus: TransIsère bus line from Grenoble to the main Vercors villages (Villard-de-Lans, Lans-en-Vercors, Autrans-Méaudre). Additional shuttles are usually provided on the day of the festival.
- Parking: Free signposted parking lots on the outskirts of the host village. Plan to arrive early, as spaces can be limited given the crowds (20,000 visitors).
Location
The event takes place outdoors, in the center of the host village and in the surrounding meadows. The producers' market, cheese-making demonstrations, educational farm, and concert stages are spread throughout the site.
Opening Hours
Saturday from 9 AM to 11 PM (evening concert). Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM. Producers' market and activities open at 10 AM each day.
Prices
Admission is completely free. Tastings and on-site catering are paid. Some culinary workshops may require prior registration.
Food & Drink
Over 70 exhibitors offer tastings and direct sales of Vercors local products: Bleu du Vercors-Sassenage AOP, Saint-Marcellin, cured meats, honeys, jams, Grenoble walnuts, wines, and craft beers. Numerous food stalls allow for lunch on-site: Vercouline (blue cheese melted over potatoes), ravioles with blue cheese, tartiflette with blue cheese, mountain burgers, crêpes, and blue cheese desserts.
Tips
- Consult the Vercors Regional Natural Park website to find out the host village and the detailed program for the year.
- Arrive early in the morning to enjoy the market in the best conditions and find parking easily.
- Book your accommodation in advance: mountain accommodation capacity is limited.
- Bring appropriate mountain clothing: hat, sunscreen, and a warm layer for the evening (altitude 1,000 to 1,200 m).
- The event is very family-friendly with activities for all ages: educational farm, milk bar, traditional games.
- Don't forget a cooler bag to take home your purchases of cheese and fresh products.
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Book your train or bus to reach Fête du Bleu at the best price.
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Where does it take place — Fête du Bleu
Plateau du Vercors (village itinérant)
Maison du Parc, 255 Chemin des Fusillés, 38250 Lans-en-Vercors