Festival of the Thresher and Crafts

A journey back to the agricultural roots of Berry

The Fête de la Batteuse et de l'Artisanat takes place every year in Chamorin, a picturesque hamlet in the commune of Baraize, in the heart of the Indre department, near Éguzon and its lake, and just ten minutes from exit 20 of the A20 motorway. Since its inception in 1988 by the Baraize Festival Committee, this event has become a must-visit for lovers of rural heritage and Berrichon traditions. Its founders initially expected it to last only three or four years; however, the festival grew from 400 visitors in its first year to 3,000 and then 4,000, and now mobilizes nearly 170 volunteers.

Authentic agricultural demonstrations

The highlight of the festival is the traditional wheat threshing demonstration, performed using threshing machines, steam engines, and vintage agricultural equipment restored and maintained by enthusiasts. Visitors can watch reenactments of last century's field work, complete with oxen and horses helping with the harvest. A 1920 steam road locomotive travels around the site, offering rides to visitors. The committee has also collected and restored a vast array of period equipment—carts, carriages, farm tools, stills, and antique fire pumps—housed in dedicated buildings.

Craftsmanship and traditional skills

Alongside the agricultural displays, around sixty stalls host master artisans and traditional craftspeople showcasing their skills: saddlers, wheelwrights, washerwomen, embroiderers, cobblers, blacksmiths, spinners, woodturners, long-sawyers, brickmakers, stonemasons, luthiers, basket makers, upholsterers, and weavers. A bread oven, a washhouse, and a farm have been reconstructed on-site, alongside an apple juice press and a family-run oil mill that presses walnuts in front of the public. Local artists exhibit their work in the village hall.

Folk entertainment and conviviality

A folk group and horn players bring the day to life with traditional music and dance. Everyone is invited to try their hand at a dictation test in a vintage classroom, where students for a day are held to a certain level of discipline. Associations of classic cars from the 1930s to the 1960s, as well as collectors of bicycles and motorcycles from the same era, also participate in the day. The thresher's meal, served at lunch and dinner at long communal tables, offers a chance to taste Berrichon specialties in a warm, family-friendly atmosphere.

A festival with two names

Since the 2025 edition, the Festival Committee has also been promoting the event under the name Fête de l'Artisanat et des Traditions, while keeping its usual exhibitors and adding a producers' market. However, tourist guides for the Indre and the Creuse Valley continue to list it under its historic name: Fête de la Batteuse et de l'Artisanat.

An event driven by passionate volunteers

The festival is entirely organized by the Baraize Festival Committee, whose volunteers work year-round to prepare it. Their commitment helps preserve the memory of the agricultural world of the past and pass on knowledge of the techniques and tools that shaped the Berry countryside to younger generations. The committee also enlivens the village throughout the year with a fishing competition in June, a music festival, a steak dinner in July, and a hiking event in October.