Contrary to what one might think, the Harvest Festival of Provins does not take place in the fields but inside the ramparts, on the squares and in the streets of the village. This popular festival is therefore an opportunity to discover the architectural heritage of the municipality, while perpetuating its rural traditions.
The Harvest Festival of Provins is unique because it is the only harvest festival in France that does not take place in the fields. It has been organized by the Commune Libre de la Ville Haute since 1971.
The festivities take place in the village squares and streets, just like in the past during the traditional rural festival that celebrated the end of the harvest. When the harvest was finished, the cart carrying the last sheaves of wheat was decorated with a crown or a wheat cross adorned with a bouquet of flowers.
This decoration, called the "harvest dog," was offered to the mistress of the house and hung on the gate. Farmers and agricultural workers would then gather for a big meal, followed by dancing at the inn.
Today, the festival takes place every year on the last Sunday of August. It includes a grand parade of floats decorated with wheat, followed by folk dances and a procession of antique agricultural machinery. Visitors can also see demonstrations of traditional threshing, carousel rides on wooden horses, and street performances.
This year, the Harvest Festival of Provins will take place on Sunday, August 27, 2023, with the theme "From Harvest to Plate".
This 51st edition will offer multiple activities on the theme "From Harvest to Plate": demonstrations of traditional threshing and parades of decorated floats with wheat, tractors, and other vintage vehicles.
On the program:
Grand parade of floats decorated with wheat, folk dances, traditional threshing, vintage vehicles, tractors and old machinery, wooden horse carousels alongside jazz and world music, parades of vintage tractors and vehicles; traditional threshing, draft horses and the return of the last gerbière; street music, brass bands, harmonies, French songs, music and rhythms from around the world, barrel organs, jazz, percussion; artisanal discoveries and regional products; exhibitions of old machinery.
In the afternoon, the grand parade of floats decorated with wheat, animated by 500 participants, will go through the streets of the Upper Town: a spectacle not to be missed!
Proud of its rural traditions, Provins invites you to immerse yourself in the atmosphere and life of our countryside of yesteryear.
The 51st Harvest Festival of Provins will take place on Sunday, August 27, 2023, within the walls of the old town.
Rates (to be confirmed)
On-site rates
Entrance only: €11 / Entrance and monuments: €18
Free for children under 12 / Festival and monuments for children aged 5 to 12: €7
Information
Phone: 01 64 00 59 00.
You can consult the complete program on the official website below.
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