Summer is “party” time in France. There is a festival for just about everything: bread, garlic, cheese, textiles, cherries, books, beer, wine- the list is endless. And music events too- classical, opera, jazz, blues, rock and country  music is very popular! The national and regional arts councils support these festivals making most of them free of charge to the public.

We’ve seen some wonderful events here; the Cahors Blues festival, Marciac Jazz festival, the Pertuis Big Band festival and countless classical concerts in churches, chateaus and beautiful outdoor spaces.

Two of my favorites this summer were held in Gaillac (a wine area about an hour from la Cascade). We went to Gaillac for the Organic Festival- an event to buy organic plants, veggies, herbs, info on alternative energy, straw bales houses, etc. During the day there were two music events. The first was a fun Eastern European  trio that played fanciful music that made you want to move and dance.

The second were soloists from the Toulouse Symphony who played Vivaldi’s Four Seasons- it was breathtaking. Here you can see the baby in front of us enjoying the concert too!