There was a queue this Saturday afternoon in front of the entrance to Partage des Eaux, in L’Isle-sur-la-Sorgue, for the first day of the Sorgue Festival. An event which until now took place during the high season, in the middle of July, but which this year got a new look in the spring, at the initiative of the festival committees and the municipalities of the five villages of the Pays des Sorgues , in concert with Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Tourisme.
“We opted for the month of May in order to give more space to locals and to revitalize the event at a time when the cultural offering is less in the region than during the summer.“, commented Eric Bruxelle, president of Isle-sur-la-Sorgue Tourisme, on the sidelines of the festivities. And the least we can say is that the visitors responded for the occasion. Many onlookers and visitors who took part in the various activities which promoted the Sorgue, but not only that: exhibitions, old-fashioned fishing workshops, guided walks along the Sorgue, concerts, stories, wooden games, picnics…
“An exceptional river”
“It is also an opportunity to raise awareness among the general public of the importance of saving the Sorgue. This river, the first resurgence of France and Europe, is exceptional. It has the characteristic of always having the same temperature all year round (13° – 14°) or of hosting common graylings, the only place in the south of France to record these fish from before the ice age.“, underlined in particular Yannick Gouguenheim, professional underwater photographer who exhibited photos of the Sorgue at the Partage des eaux.
An observation shared by Laurent Rhodet, director of the Mixed Syndicate of the Sorgues Basin, partner of this edition: “It’s very exciting because people are interested and want to know more about the Sorgue. As a reminder, on a daily basis we maintain and restore the bed and banks of the Sorgue, prevent the risk of flooding, or raise awareness among residents and schools of the importance of the Sorgue through events such as this festival. , to name just that. Without forgetting that we also have a role in monitoring the quality of water and environments. Moreover, in this sense, we are going to carry out a major scientific approach with several universities soon to better quantify the human impact on fauna and flora. This will help protect it better.“
Finally, earlier in the morning, at Thor, the party was also in full swing where theater, introductions to kayaking and even a concert punctuated the morning. “We are very happy with this edition, the weather is nice, people are participating and the site of the Camus island with the Sorgue in the background offers an idyllic setting for this family and festive event. We will simply have to ensure that we organize ourselves better next year to space out the events more; the animations spilled over a little onto those after“, testified Françoise, responsible within the Ambiance Thoroise festival committee, at the end of the meeting.
Then, the demonstration continued until late at night in Châteauneuf-de-Gadagne with a double concert with pop-rock accents. Continuation of the festivities today, near Saumane-de-Vaucluse and Fontaine-de-Vaucluse.
On the program this May 5
In Saumane-de-Vaucluse – chemin du Pigeolet and chemin Noir: 12 p.m., aperitif-tasting of local products offered by the festival committee. 12 p.m. to 3 p.m., country picnic from the bag on the banks of the Sorgue, musical entertainment and guided discovery of the Chemin Noir site.
In Fontaine-de-Vaucluse – Vergnes car park: 4 p.m.: virtual reality exhibition and guided walk of the Fontaine-de-Vaucluse chasm (1 hour) by the Syndicat Mixte du Bassin des Sorgues. Departure from Place de la Colonne. 5 p.m., concert and free aperitif.
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