Foire aux Cerises

The Cherry, the Fruity Pride of a Wine-Growing Village in the Yonne

Escolives-Sainte-Camille is a village of some 700 inhabitants located 10 km south of Auxerre, on the right bank of the Yonne river, crossed by the Canal du Nivernais and the D606 road. Its original Latin name, Scoliva, refers to the Gallo-Roman baths built on this ancient Agrippa road. Between vineyards and orchards, between limestone and river, the village has developed over the centuries an identity deeply rooted in the terroir of the Auxerrois region.

While viticulture remains alive thanks to the Domaine Borgnat — 18 hectares of vines in reasoned farming, 17th-century vaulted cellars of 700 m², Coulanges, Crémant de Bourgogne, and Ratafia appellations —, it was cherry growing that made Escolives famous after the phylloxera crisis that ravaged the vineyards at the end of the 19th century. Forced to diversify their crops, local farmers turned massively to cherry trees, and the region became one of the main suppliers of cherries to Paris. It was in this context that the Marmotte cherry was born, a typically Auxerrois variety whose history is intimately linked to the territory.

The Marmotte Cherry: A Variety Born in the Auxerrois

The Marmotte cherry — or Marmotte bigarreau — is an old variety of fleshy cherry, appreciated for fresh consumption and its qualities in pastry making. According to local tradition, its name comes from a resident of the neighboring village of Jussy, nicknamed “the Marmot” for his habit of dozing at the foot of his cherry trees. Having lost his vines during the phylloxera epidemic, this farmer dedicated himself to cherry growing and one day discovered, at the edge of a hedge, a shoot resulting from a natural hybridization of bigarreau — a new variety, with a more generous flesh and a finer flavor. The origin of this variety dates back to the 1850s in the Yonne department, and it reached its peak in the 1950s-1960s.

The Marmotte cherry has become a symbol of the Auxerrois terroir. Its cultivation, long practiced in family gardens and on the hillsides, still resonates in the collective memory of the village and gives its name and meaning to the Foire aux Cerises d'Escolives.

A Fair Rooted in Tradition for Over Forty Years

The Foire aux Cerises of Escolives-Sainte-Camille is organized annually by the Comité des fêtes d'Escolives (Escolives Festival Committee), a volunteer association that has been perpetuating this popular event for over four decades. In 2024, the event celebrated its 40th edition, demonstrating the deep roots of this festival in village life. Much more than just a garage sale, it is a collective celebration that combines the village's fruity past with contemporary conviviality.

The event takes place in the exceptional setting of the Park of the Gallo-Roman archaeological site of Escolives, located on Rue Raymond Kapps. This site, excavated since 1955 following the accidental discovery of sculpted blocks while uprooting a walnut tree, houses the remains of a vast Gallo-Roman villa occupied from the 1st century BC to the 5th century AD. Visitors can discover the baths and their remarkable foundations, adorned with reused sculptures from a nearby Gallo-Roman sanctuary — blocks classified as being of national importance. Organizing a popular fair in this unique open-air archaeological setting gives the event a rare atmosphere, blending the site's two-thousand-year history with the festive energy of a June day.

The Day's Program

The Foire aux Cerises opens its doors at dawn, at 6:00 AM, to welcome the garage sale exhibitors who set up in the archaeological park. The garage sale brings together between 100 and 200 exhibitors each year, individuals and professionals, offering antiques, old objects, clothing, books, toys, and various curiosities. A 5-meter pitch is available for 10 euros, and booking is recommended with the festival committee.

The event concludes at 6:00 PM, after a day filled with strolls among the stalls, antique finds, and the tempting aromas of on-site catering. The festival committee provides a drinks stand and convivial catering: the traditional grilled boudin — an essential specialty of the festival — accompanied by various drinks and local specialties. The tasting of fresh cherries, when in season, reminds all visitors of the primary purpose of the celebration.

Escolives-Sainte-Camille, a Village with Exceptional Heritage

The Foire aux Cerises is also an invitation to discover or rediscover the rich heritage of this modest but remarkable village. In addition to the Villa Scoliva archaeological site (open to the public from April to October, with guided tours, educational workshops on archaeology, Roman cuisine, mythology, and clothing), you can visit:

• The Romanesque Saint-Pierre-Saint-Paul church (12th century), with its remarkable Romanesque porch and its two-level crypt housing the relics of Saint Camille, whose name is associated with the medieval foundation of the commune
• The Commanderie du Saulce, established in the 12th century by the Templars who developed important vineyards there
• The Pierre Merlier Museum, located in the former Moulin du Saulce on the banks of the Canal du Nivernais, displaying over 300 wood sculptures and works by this expressionist artist (1931-2017), open from April to October
• The Domaine Borgnat, a family wine estate of 18 hectares, with tastings in 17th-century vaulted cellars

The village's geographical location, in the heart of the Parc naturel régional du Morvan and a stone's throw from the Auxerrois wine region, makes it an ideal starting point for exploring the Bourgogne Côtes d'Auxerre hillsides, the Irancy vineyards, and the landscapes of the Yonne valley.

A Popular, Free, and Convivial Festival

The Foire aux Cerises d'Escolives belongs to the precious category of rural festivals that endure, remaining true to themselves for over forty years, without flashy advertising or tourist pretension. It runs on the volunteer energy of the festival committee, the loyalty of exhibitors who return year after year, and the attachment of the villagers to a tradition that reflects them: simple, open, and gourmet.

In a department like the Yonne, where village festivals are a pillar of social life, the Foire aux Cerises d'Escolives perfectly illustrates how a local fruit tradition can transcend decades and reinvent itself without losing its essence, by drawing on unique natural and archaeological heritage. The cherry, a humble and tasty fruit, plays the role that wine plays in Chablis or Irancy: that of an ambassador of the terroir and a joyful pretext for gathering together, every last Sunday in June.