Provence Fall Festivals to Discover 2024 Events

Fall Events and Festivals in Provence

As the temperatures drop in Provence during the autumn, restaurant menus move towards heartier dishes. Enjoy slow-roasted meat (lamb, wild boar, bull (taureaux), rabbit, fowl) with herbes de Provence and seasonal root vegetables. These recipes pair well with well-balanced red wine blends from the Rhône Valley.

Fall Recipes Inspired by Provence

At this time of year, hiking is fabulous, biking is possible, and golfers often get an extended season. Best of all, the autumn months move at a slightly more relaxed pace for many people living in or visiting Provence. The summer hordes have departed and are replaced by smaller groups of visitors and bike tours. In the fall, no guilt is involved in lighting a fire, curling up with a book, or perhaps taking an une sieste.

Books to Read

Fall Colours in Provence

One September morning in Provence, you wake up to notice a difference. Something is missing. The chirping choir of the cicadas has stopped, and in their place, the abrupt sound of hunter’s dogs barking followed by gunshots. A slight dampness in the air makes its presence known when you walk. Despite a chilly start, being in shirtsleeves by lunchtime is normal. The annual grape harvest may occur in September, depending on Mother Nature’s whim.

October often rolls in like a lamb with a gentle touch. There is a soft pink hue, “painter’s light” in the evenings and mysterious foggy mornings. The smell of bonfires in agricultural zones scents the air, and the olives begin turning a deep shade of purple-black. Eye-catching red, orange and yellow berries of Pyracantha bushes (Firethorns) along the roadsides replace the fields of lavender and sunflowers. The Plane trees begin dropping their big, noisy brown leaves.

November is crisp like a freshly minted bill. The sunny skies remain a brilliant blue, but leaving the house without an extra layer of clothing would be folly. The mistral wind, which might be mild in the summer months, blows in an Artic chill from the NW, increasing in its forceful gusts as it rolls down the Rhône River. The grapes have been harvested and crushed. The winemakers watch the fermenting juice as the vines turn gold and red in their fields.

NOTE: The cultural events and festivals listed below are annual (or bi-annual) happenings in Provence and on the Côte d’Azur in September, October and November. However, the actual dates for these events will change from year to year. The websites are listed below for the current details. Please note this is not a comprehensive list of all the current events. For activities near your location, check local newspapers, flyers at the grocery stores and tourism websites for festivals.

September: Provence and on the Côte d’Azur

Visit the Musée Granet in Aix-en-Provence. The museum’s collection has evolved over the years, swelled by the city’s acquisitions and several significant bequests, including works donated by François-Marius Granet, to become what it is today – a collection of more than 12,000 works and masterpieces!

Bulls and Rice: (September 6-8, 2024) The annual Feria du Riz in Arles weekend includes festivities throughout the city and plenty of rice to sample.

Until September 29, 2024: The Rencontres d’Arles – Les Rencontres de la Photographie. The Rencontres is a big deal photography festival drawing international photographers and viewers from around the globe.

There is so much to do in Avignon! There is always something going on: galleries, concerts, guided tours, markets, and much more. Visit the Avignon Tourist Office in person or online for all the current activities.

Book Your Stay in Provence – Côte d’Azur.

Sound, Light and Art (until January 2025): Carrières des Lumières in Les Baux de Provence, a production by Culturespaces. For the 2024 long program, we have The Egypt of the Pharaohs, from Cheops to Ramses II. In addition, a short projection highlights The Orientalists Ingres, Delacroix, and Gérôme (check the website for days and times). This old limestone quarry – Carrières des Lumières – is France’s largest fixed multimedia installation. The 14-metre-high walls are the backdrop 70 video projectors use to broadcast images. Here are our tips for your visit to Carrières de Lumières.

September 21-22, 2024 – Everywhere in France the Journées Européennes du Patrimoine (European Heritage Days). Public buildings, private homes, gardens, and much more are open to the public free of charge. However, many of these venues are only open once a year. Check the official website for the program near you.

Check the Tourism website for the list of activities in Saintes Maries de la Mer.

September 7 – October 27, 2024: Le Festival Ventoux Saveurs – The Parc naturel régional du Ventoux celebrates autumn flavours with village festivals highlighting produce from the area.

October: Provence and on the Côte d’Azur

Until October 6, 2024, Visit Hôtel de Caumont in Aix-en-Provence to see the exhibition “Bonnard et le Japon.” For more information, click here.

Pumpkins everywhere in mid-October—The village of Rians turns shades of orange all weekend during the Fête de la Courge, a community celebration of the Cucurbitaceae family. The annual gourd, squash, and pumpkin harvest is an excuse for an autumn-themed market. Plenty of stands sell food made with squash, such as soup à la courge, jams, cakes, and more.

Gratin de Courge (Butternut Squash Gratin)

A Niçoise favourite casserole (tian), this side dish made with squash - gratin de courge - originates from Roman cuisine. It requires a minimum of work and a bit of skill. This tian is even better when reheated in a low oven and then grilled for about five minutes the next day.

Check out this recipe

Chestnuts: Collobrières in the Var celebrates the season with Fêtes de la Châtaigne three Sundays in October. Let October be your excuse to visit this village near the Massif des Maures, where you will be treated to the scent of roasting chestnuts. Spend some time wandering through the chestnut trees, and you will probably see the nuts being picked. Now, is you chance to sample these gourmet treats – crèmes de marron and marrons glacés.

Chestnut Soup for the Holidays

This dish is easy to make chestnut soup perfect for holiday celebrating. Whether you're wanting a toasty lunch in front of the fire or a great accompaniment to a holiday meal, this soup is sure to give you what you need.

Check out this recipe

Mushrooms: If October arrives with humidity, you might get lucky and start to see wild mushrooms in the markets. In early October, the tiny village of Saint Trinit in the Vaucluse celebrates a fungi-filled day with la Fête du Champignon (October 13, 2024), including a market, local artisans, and gourmet treats.

Sautéed Wild Mushrooms

When wild mushrooms appear in the Provencal markets, do not hesitate to buy them, as the season is short. This starter course is quick to prepare and simply delicious. The recipe below will serve four people as a starter.

Check out this recipe

Head to the Beach:  Since the XII century, Saintes Maries de la Mer has been a pilgrimage site for the Romani people from Europe and around the globe. There is a large celebration in May, with a smaller version on the weekend of October 19-20, 2024 (details here). The pilgrimages to Saintes Maries de la Mer began in the 12th century with more conviction when relics of the saints were discovered in 1448.  Keith Van Sickle asks, “Mary Magdalene in Provence Legend or Fact.”

Visit seaside Cassis, a picturesque town tucked into a curve along the Mediterranean Sea between the calanques. The city with 8,000 inhabitants is about 20 km east of Marseille. It’s a fishing port on a steep hillside with vineyards and pastel-coloured houses layering the slope to the seaside. Check the tourist office website for current events.

October 5 – December 29, 2024—Phot’Aix 2024—Festival of Photography, the 24th edition anniversary of this contemporary photography exhibit. This year’s theme is Regards Croisés. The concept is to bring photography to the street and to highlight talented photographers.

October 31 – Happy Halloween!

November: Provence and the Côte d’Azur

November 1—Toussaint (All Saints) is a public holiday. Make sure to visit a cemetery to see the headstones decorated with chrysanthemums. Please read Virgnie’s articles on Halloween and La Toussaint.

November—Rognas is the place to be for a giant pumpkin festival. Fête de la Courge celebrates the harvest of this gourd with festivities and a chance to try soups, sweets, and other culinary delights. This family-friendly event includes a market.

Book Your Stay in Provence – Côte d’Azur

November 11 – Armistice Day (1918)

Riders in the Sand. (November 10-11, 2024): Head to Saintes Maries de la Mer for the final abrivado festival of the season. One enormous equine event on the beach with 200 gardiens (cowboys & cowgirls), 1000 horses and 11 abrivados. The video (below) will give you a flavour of the energy surrounding this two-day festival.

Truffles the Black Gold of Provence at the beginning of December – Ban des Truffes in Richerenches marks the start of the truffle season in this village. Please read The Truffle Markets in Provence – Planning Your Visit and Recipes.

Christmas Shopping: (November 21-23, 2024) Salon Provence Prestige annual holiday fair in Arles at the Palais des Congrès with 170+ exhibitors. Perfect timing for Christmas shopping.

Holiday markets start early in Provence. Look for them in significant centres and villages everywhere. Many vineyards decorate their boutiques for the season. What could better get you in the mood than wine tasting and shopping? Château de Berne (vineyard, hotel, and spa) in the Var has a series of pre-Christmas markets.

Late November – Annual temptation for those with a sweet tooth at the Palais des Congrès de Antibes – Juan-les-Pins for the Salon de Sucre et Chocolate.

December 2-7, 2024—PriMed takes place in Marseille. Previously called the International Festival of Mediterranean Documentary Film and Reportage, the festival began in Monte Carlo in 1994 and has been in Marseille since 2009. The public is invited to the screenings (free) of international documentaries, discussions, and workshops.

The Annual Christmas Market at the Dora Maar House in Ménerbes will take place from December 7 to 8, 2024.

Discover the Art of the Christmas Market in Provence

Carolyne Kauser-Abbott

With her camera and laptop close at hand, Carolyne has traded in her business suits for the world of freelance writing and blogging. Her first airplane ride at six months of age was her introduction to the exciting world of travel.

While in Provence, Carolyne can be found hiking with friends, riding the hills around the Alpilles or tackling Mont Ventoux. Her attachment to the region resonates in Perfectly Provence this digital magazine that she launched in 2014. This website is an opportunity to explore the best of the Mediterranean lifestyle (food & wine, places to stay, expat stories, books on the region, travel tips, real estate tips and more), through our contributors' articles.

Carolyne writes a food and travel blog Ginger and Nutmeg. Carolyne’s freelance articles can be found in Global Living Magazine, Avenue Magazine and City Palate (Published Travel Articles).