Les Estivales du Chapeau de Caussade

Caussade, world capital of the straw hat

There is only one city in France — and undoubtedly in the whole world — that can boast of being the capital of the straw hat: Caussade, in Tarn-et-Garonne. This tradition dates back to the 17th century, when the inhabitants of the Quercy countryside began to braid straw hats to protect themselves from the sun during agricultural work. Over the centuries, this domestic know-how transformed into a real industry, making Caussade and its region the world's leading hat-making center.

In the 19th century and the first half of the 20th, thousands of straw hats left the Caussade workshops each year to adorn the heads of French and Europeans. Caussade hat houses exported their creations to North America and Asia. Today, although the industry has shrunk, the hat-making tradition remains vibrant, maintained by a few passionate artisans and especially by the Estivales du Chapeau, a unique festival in France that pays homage each summer to this exceptional heritage.

A unique festival in France

Created over three decades ago, the Estivales du Chapeau de Caussade are the city's flagship cultural event and one of the most original festivals in Tarn-et-Garonne. For four days in July, the city transforms into a true capital of international millinery. Milliners, fashion designers, artisans, and hat enthusiasts from around the world converge on Caussade to participate in this festive and unique event.

The festival owes its absolute uniqueness to its international hat competition, a competition open to both professionals and amateurs, which invites participants to create, wear, and parade with the most extravagant, elegant, or creative hats. Creations compete in inventiveness: floral hats, sculptural hats, hats made from recycled materials, contemporary reinterpretations of millinery classics... The jury, composed of fashion professionals and millinery artisans, awards prizes in several categories.

Parades, concerts, and popular celebration

The Estivales du Chapeau are not just a competition. It is above all a great popular celebration that gives the entire city a chic carnival feel. The parades that cross the streets of Caussade are shows in themselves: costumed participants in period attire, fashion designers presenting their collections, musicians accompanying the processions in a festive and colorful atmosphere.

Each evening, the music stage takes over with free concerts featuring jazz bands, world music groups, and bandas orchestras. Jazz pays homage to the elegance of classic millinery, while world music groups and bandas bring warmth and energy to evenings that often extend well beyond midnight. These concerts gather thousands of people each evening from all over Quercy and Tarn-et-Garonne.

A 100% free and family-friendly festival

One of the most remarkable features of the Estivales du Chapeau is its total freeness. All concerts, all parades, all activities are completely free. This proactive policy, supported by the city of Caussade, the Department of Tarn-et-Garonne, and the Occitanie Region, makes the Estivales a true popular event, accessible to all families and all budgets.

The festival is particularly appreciated by families with children. Specific activities are offered to them: hat-making workshops, face painting, traditional games... The youngest learn straw braiding under the watchful eyes of volunteer milliners, thus perpetuating the ancestral gesture that made Caussade world-famous.

The village dressed for the celebration

During the four days of the festival, the entire city joins the celebration. Shopkeepers, restaurateurs, and residents compete in creativity to decorate their shop windows and facades on the theme of hats. Exhibitions take over public spaces, galleries, and cultural venues in Caussade. Café terraces overflow, artisanal markets are set up in the squares, and the general atmosphere is that of a warm and colorful southern festival celebrating both artisanal know-how and the joy of living together.

Over the years, the Estivales du Chapeau de Caussade have become much more than just a festival: they are the symbol of a city proud of its identity, a community that has transformed an industrial heritage into a lively and joyful cultural celebration, open to the world.