Annual Honey Festival in Aiguilhe

The Honey Festival is a celebration of the harvest. 

It starts out with a morning collection of vegetables from the neighborhoods. A man blows a horn (right) and neighbors emerge from their houses to give him something from their gardens. The vegetables are then put into a community soup that is eaten in the evening. 

Here is the collection point for all the vegetables that will go into the community soup. 


Citizens of Aiguilhe play the role as peasants. 

               


The French love to sing, and they seem to use any occasion to lead a crowd in song. They particularly like to sing about food. The Honey Festival, an agricultural fair, made this task easy.

This priest led the crowds in a song about beans.

The Honey Festival
The Auvergne area is a big producer of honey. Every year, the town celebrates with a festival in the central square of Aiguilhe, which is adjacent to Le Puy.  

           

Honey combs

Honey beer

Chestnuts mix well with honey.

Honey bread was one of the main attractions of the festival. It came in different renditions--and sizes.

             






Like most farmers in local markets, these French farmers exhibit a unique pride in what they have produced.

A honey wine-tasting room in the city hall building

                    
 There is always a good reason for a freshly-made crêpe be it a festival or ordinary street scene. 

 

All kinds of characters showed up at the Honey Festival.

These men were grilling up sides of pork for the afternoon meal.

The Honey Festival ended with a fireworks display.