Fête du Port d'Auvillar

August 15th on the banks of the Garonne

Each year, August 15th transforms the port of Auvillar into a stage for popular celebration. The Fête du Port is one of those summer events that reflect their territory: simple, generous, rooted in a tradition of sharing and conviviality that locals and visitors alike perpetuate with pleasure year after year.

The port of Auvillar, developed on the banks of the Garonne below the hilltop village, offers an exceptional setting for this celebration: the gentle flow of the river, the poplar trees along the banks, the reflections of the August light on the water, and in the background the silhouette of the village and its tower mill — all elements that make the Fête du Port an event you leave with the impression of having experienced something authentic.

The gourmet market, heart of the festival

The gourmet market is the central moment of the Fête du Port. Local producers, food artisans, and regional chefs gather on the riverbanks to offer the best flavors of Tarn-et-Garonne and Quercy: seasonal fruits and vegetables from Garonne market gardeners, artisanal cheeses, country charcuterie, Gascon pâtés, duck preserves, honey and jams, regional wines, and of course the culinary riches of summer in Occitanie.

This market is both a showcase of the local agricultural and gastronomic wealth and a meeting place between producers and consumers, in the spirit of short supply chains and the valorization of local terroirs. Families come to shop for their August 15th meal, tourists discover the local flavors, and everyone gathers for a drink and a bite to eat in the festive light.

Food trucks and festive catering

For those who prefer to eat on-site, food trucks take over the riverbanks with a range of fast and festive food: grills, revisited local specialties, world cuisines, artisanal desserts. The atmosphere is that of a large popular picnic by the water, where people eat standing or sitting on the grassy banks, their feet almost in the river.

Pétanque and popular games

The pétanque tournament of the Fête du Port is one of the most anticipated events by the locals. Pétanque players from the village and surrounding towns gather on the banks of the Garonne for lively games, in the tradition of summer festivals in the Southwest where pétanque is more than just a sport: it's an art of living.

Other popular games and activities complete the offering, creating a good-natured village fair atmosphere where generations mingle and tease each other in the good humor of an August afternoon.

The bandas, sonic soul of the festival

The bandas are the essential sound of the Fête du Port. These walking brass bands with powerful horns and catchy percussion parade along the banks and through the village streets, creating the festive and lively atmosphere without which a great Southwest festival would not be complete. The sound of tubas and trombones echoing by the Garonne, reverberating off the facades of the hilltop village: a unique festival music.

Fireworks on the Garonne

The fireworks launched over the Garonne are the highlight of the August 15th evening. From the riverbanks and the viewpoint of the hilltop village, spectators witness a pyrotechnic display whose reflections multiply infinitely in the calm waters of the river. This moment of collective beauty, which brings together all the Auvillar residents and their guests in a shared moment of wonder, is what remains longest in memory as the perfect image of an August 15th by the Garonne.

Auvillar and its historic port

The port of Auvillar is steeped in history. For centuries, this river port was one of the main points for loading and unloading goods from Quercy: wood, grain, Auvillar earthenware, agricultural products from the valley. The Garonne was the great commercial route of the Southwest, and ports like Auvillar lived to the rhythm of the barges and the boatmen.

Today transformed into a pleasure and kayak port, the port retains some traces of this history: the stone quays, the street names, and especially the medieval tower mill that overlooks the banks from the village — one of the most photographed symbols of Auvillar. The Fête du Port celebrates this riverine heritage while looking towards the future of a region that knows how to live with its heritage without being frozen in the past.