Dive into the origins of one of the biggest fairs in Gironde

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It is said to have stood for almost 1,000 years. In La Réole (Gironde), the All Saints’ Fair is an unmissable event.
It is, after that of Bordeaux, the most important fair in the department. Between 30,000 and 40,000 people meet each year among the hawkers and carousels on the quays of La Réole.

It may seem incongruous to organize celebrations at a time of year when we pay tribute to loved ones who have passed away… However, it is the particularity of the famous annual fair from La Réole. A little history…

The La Réole Fair, a meeting place

All Saints' Day, in La Réole is an opportunity to celebrate by eating out and having fun for several days. Entertainment invades the banks of the Garonne, rides for children, attractions and lotteries for adults, tasting stands and numerous refreshment bars.

We come there for wander among the smells of donuts and the sound systems of car-scooters, we meet friends, cousins ​​we haven't seen for a year and we hug each other amid exclamations of joy and friendship.

The origins of a thousand-year-old fair

But that wasn't always the case. This Fair, almost a thousand years old, dates back to the distant era when the cold arrived at the same time as the first days of November…

The region, essentially agricultural, was overflowing with crops harvested during the summer and animals fattened since the previous winter. We therefore decided to create this major event to be able to sell all these products to individuals living in the surrounding medium-sized towns to allow them to stock up for bad days.

The influence of the Garonne

The choice of La Réole was obvious for the creation of this immense market thanks to its geographical location and its large population.

In addition, river transport was in full swing and the city's docks made it easy to unload goods, livestock and tools. The fair was therefore only commercial for centuries and became an essential place for business.

It was only much later that we began to see the first amusements. At the beginning of the 19^e century, lotteries, shootings, peddlers arrived from everywhere and gave this gathering a joyful side which, even if it did not correspond to the sad period of All Saints' Day, gave the event a very great importance which quickly placed it at the top of the meetings in Aquitaine.

The turning point of the 1920s

Gradually, everything was modernizedchildren were attracted with rides, men with stands where they could measure their strength, and ladies with clothing boutiques… The Fair gradually lost, around the 1920s, its livestock-farming side to make way to the festivities and tastings, then in the middle of the 20^e century, we added commercial stands that we find today…

Over the years, there have been icy All Saints' Days, flooded ones and even 1^is November of radiant sunshine where the grout counters (new wine that turns heads!) were taken by storm.

The attractions became more and more modern, the catering even more gourmet and the games booths fully connected! From the beginning of the 1960s, we could buy cars, refrigerators and “fairly priced” televisions!

Today, the annual La Réole Fair still occupies a privileged place in major regional events.

It welcomes more than 30,000 visitors in three days and it is sometimes difficult to navigate the aisles at peak times.

Progress has brought shuttles that transport you to the scene from strategic locations in the city. And everyone finds a little his childish soul amidst the smells of nougatcries of kids and voices of hawkers amplified by the speakers!

A moment of life not to be missed to rediscover the happiness and conviviality of simple things with the taste of yesteryear… And what's more, it's one of the rare fairs that is still free!

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