Festivals and events in Sarlat and the Périgord Noir

Every January, Sarlat devotes a weekend to the black Périgord truffle: truffle market, demonstrations, tastings and workshops in the historic centre. The perfect time to discover this exceptional produce, and to enjoy the villa by the wood-burning stove.

In early March, the town pays tribute to the goose, emblem of Périgord cuisine: producers’ stalls, cooking demonstrations, farm visits and long communal tables in the streets of the medieval town.

On Ascension Thursday and Friday, Périgord producers take over Sarlat: tastings, entertainment and local specialities, in the middle of spring, when strawberries and asparagus are in season.

Every year on Whit Sunday, Rocamadour celebrates its small AOP goat’s cheese and the cheeses of neighbouring regions: producers’ market, tastings and entertainment in the town.

For more than a century, the Félibrée has celebrated Occitan language and culture for three days, in a different Dordogne village each year: parades in traditional costume, music and dancing, demonstrations of old crafts, dances and festive meals. The whole village is decorated with thousands of paper flowers.

Founded in 1952, it is one of the oldest theatre festivals in France. Every summer, classic and contemporary plays are performed in the open air, in the squares and courtyards of the old town. A magical evening, a ten-minute walk from the villa.

For more than forty years, this music festival has brought internationally renowned artists and young talents to exceptional venues: the abbey church of Saint-Amand-de-Coly, the Romanesque church of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, Sarlat cathedral… Unforgettable concerts with remarkable acoustics.

Every summer, this sacred music festival welcomes world-renowned artists to the Saint-Sauveur basilica in Rocamadour, the L’Hospitalet chapel and castles of the Dordogne valley. Great evening concerts in unforgettable places.

On the last weekend of September, dozens of hot-air balloons rise above the sacred town and the Alzou valley: a sight visible for miles around, not to be missed at sunrise.

Since 1991, the Sarlat Film Festival has screened films ahead of their release every November, with directors and actors in attendance. A lovely opportunity to discover Sarlat out of season, quieter and just as beautiful.

In December, some 70 chalets set up on the Place de la Grande-Rigaudie and the Place du 14-Juillet: crafts, food, shows, illuminations and an ice rink. One of the finest Christmas markets in south-west France, a few minutes’ walk from the villa.

Mique (dumpling) festivals, patron-saint fêtes, flower, chestnut or cep festivals, village dinners, flea markets and fireworks: each village in the Périgord Noir has its own fête, often a chance to share a big meal with the locals. Dates change every year; our calendar, updated regularly, lists them within 30 km of the villa.