Autumn Festival at the Agricultural Museum

The Autumn Festival at the Botans Agricultural Museum: the flavors and colors of the season

Every second Sunday in October, the Botans Agricultural Museum transforms into a true theater of rural life of yesteryear for its Autumn Festival. Organized by the association L'Outil et la Vie d'Antan, this event is one of the most beautiful and popular in the Territoire de Belfort, bringing together several hundred visitors in a bucolic and historic setting.

A rustic outdoor meal

The highlight of the Autumn Festival is the hot meal served in the museum courtyard from noon to 2:30 PM. The association's volunteers prepare a generous and comforting meal in the spirit of Franche-Comté peasant cuisine. The cooking aromas filling the museum courtyard create a warm and friendly atmosphere, reminiscent of the grand harvest festival feasts of the past.

Horses, kings of the day

One of the most anticipated moments of the Autumn Festival is the horse-drawn carriage ride through the museum's orchard and surrounding grounds. These carriage rides allow visitors, young and old, to immerse themselves in traditional rural life and discover the beauty of the region's autumn landscapes. A free horse-drawn shuttle service connects the parking lot near Port de Botans to the museum throughout the day, allowing visitors to park comfortably.

Artisans and seasonal flavors

Many local artisans and producers set up their stalls for the day:

• A baker who prepares and sells bread on-site, perfuming the air with the smell of hot bread
• Stalls of squashes and seasonal vegetables in all their autumnal diversity
• Soups prepared from garden vegetables
• Artisanal jams made from orchard fruits
• Dried medicinal plants and phytotherapy products
• Lacto-fermented vegetables and artisanal condiments
• Local craft stalls: basketry, woodwork, pottery

The Agricultural Museum, guardian of rural memory

The Autumn Festival is also the ideal opportunity to discover or rediscover the Botans Agricultural Museum as a whole. This unique museum in the Territoire de Belfort preserves an extraordinary collection of agricultural tools and equipment from the 19th and early 20th centuries: plows, harrows, mowers, threshers, presses, carts, and rural furniture are displayed in a carefully restored old farmhouse.

A popular and accessible event

The Botans Autumn Festival is distinguished by its deeply popular and accessible nature. Admission is at a modest price, the meal is served at a reasonable price, and the atmosphere is relaxed and family-friendly. Visitors can wander freely through the museum and its outbuildings, watch the artisans at work, and participate in the day's various activities in a spirit of sharing and transmission.