ANGELA BIRD'S
Northern France
What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais

WHAT'S ON IN NORTHERN FRANCE

October 2012
(entries in red indicate new additions)

Départements are identified with their official number:
59=Nord; 62=Pas-de-Calais; 80=Somme

	PLEASE NOTE This website is really just a supplement to Angela Bird’s guidebook, Northern France: What to do and see within 90 minutes of Calais (left), which gives full details in its 176 pages of hundreds of interesting and off-beat tourist sites throughout the region. What you see on the website consists of either extra topics not covered in the book (Calendar, Restaurants, Travel routes, Internet links etc), or updated information (new tourist attractions open – or old ones closed) since the book appeared. For the complete picture, order Northern France through bookshops in the UK and Ireland, or from Amazon ; it is also on sale in good bookshops throughout Northern France.	The listings on this site are supplied in good faith, gathered by the author from various sources. However it is always wise to check details with organisers or tourist offices before making a special journey.

5 Oct 2012- 14 Jan 2013	Bosch, Bles, Bril, Brueghel: Les fables du paysage flamand au XVIe siècle, du merveilleux au fantastique International exhibition featuring around 100 works devoted to 16^th-century Flemish landscapes.	Musée des Beaux-Arts, Lille, 59
6, 7 Oct 2012	Fête du Houblon Annual hop fair, with Sat evening entertainment and a large Sunday brocante fair. 7am-6pm. Admission free.	Steenvoorde, near Cassel 59
7 Oct 2012	Rederie d’Automne Amiens’ grand annual antiques fair, with 2,000 exhibitors in the streets around the market building, and 80,000 visitors expected. 6am-6.30pm. Admission free.	Amiens, 80
13 Oct 2012- 27 Jan 2013	Marguerite Yourcenar et la peinture flamande To celecbrate the 25th anniversary of the death of the most famous writer of the north, the exhibition is a blend of literature and Flemish art, showing paintings as the source of some of Yourcenar’s writings. It includes works by Pieter Brueghel and Jérôme Bosch	Musée de Flandre, Cassel (59)
13 Oct 2012- 10 Feb 2013	CoBrA : Le regard d’un passionné Gilbert Delaine, first director of Dunkerque’s excellent modern-art museum, LAAC, has curated an important exhibition of artists of CoBrA (which stands for Copenhagen/ Brussels/ Amsterdam), an avant-garde movement formed in 1948, of which the museum holds France’s largest collection. Tues-Sun 10am-12.15pm & 2-6pm (3^rd Thurs of month, until 8.30pm). 4.50€, 18-25 year-olds 3€, children free. Free for all on first Sun of month. Ticket valid for 7 days and admits to the town’s Musée des Beaux Arts too.	LAAC, Dunkerque (car parking in Rue des Chantiers de France). 59 Tel 03 28 29 56 00
14 Oct 2012	Fête du Cheval Boulonnais The 51st edition of an annual day celebrating the beautiful, grey draught horse of the Boulogne region. Showing, demonstration and sale of horses on the main square.10-5.	Grand’Place, Hucqueliers, near Montreuil (62)
13 Oct 2012 tbc	Bike and Run Large sporting event on the beach for runners and cyclists. In teams of two, they must swop between bike and foot during the race, passing a series of checkpoints.	Beach, Boulogne-sur-Mer 62
15-21 Oct 2012	La Semaine du Goût A week dedicated to local food specialities and general gastronomic pleasures throughout France. In Arras there will be many chances to sample potatoes in homage to Charles de Lecluse, born in the city, who introduced the potato to France.	Information from tourist offices everywhere ; for Arras, Arras tourist office (tel 03 21 51 26 95) 62
earlyOct	Ducasse de Sailly The local giant “Odin the Viking” gets an outing in the parade associated with Sailly’s autumn funfair.	Sailly-sur-la-Lys, near Armentieres 62
19-21 Oct 2012	Portes Ouvertes des Ateliers d’Artistes Artists in the north of France throw open their doors for a weekend to visitors. Click here to download information for selected areas of the Nord département;	Throughout Nord, 59
19-21 Oct 2012	Fête de la Chicorée Festival of crazy entertainment, with very little to do with the ubiquitous plant that is used here not just as a vegetable or a salad, but as a coffee flavouring and as the basis for a liqueur. Events are held at Audruicq, St Folquin, Vieille Eglise and Nouvelle Eglise.	Audruicq and area, near Calais, 62
13, 13, 20, 21 Oct 2012	Les Ripailles du Camp du Drap d’Or The annual spectacle based on the meeting between Henry VIII and France’s François 1er at the Field of the Cloth of Gold, outside Guînes involves a sumptuous meal in the town’s Salle des Fêtes with medieval-style entertainment. Booking essential, via Guînes tourist office. Sat 7.30pm; Sun 12.30pm. Cost: 35€, children 25€.	Guînes, near Calais, 62 (Tel : 03 21 35 73 73).
31 Oct-4 Nov 2012	Salon ArtTouquet Major art fair held annually here at a convenient location between Paris, London and Brussels. Art works old and new on sale.	Salon ArTouquet Office du Tourisme - Palais des Congrès Place de l'Hermitage LE TOUQUET 62
28 Oct 2012	La Transhenson The annual festival of bringing the semi-wild Henson horses of the Marquenterre back to their winter grazing areas at the Domaine de Marcenterra. Participating riders gather around 9am at the Espace Equestre Henson, St Quentin-en-Tourment, and set off to round up the free horses (some 200 of them) on the east side of the Parc Ornithologique du Marquenterre (parking available at the Parc), reaching there about 10am. The riders then drive the horses back to the Domaine, where there will be an afternoon of entertainment from 2-6pm. Guided walk for pedestrians starts from Parc Ornithologique 11am, reaching Domaine de Marcenterra around 12.30pm.	Marquenterre area 80
28 Oct 2012	Brocante de Gandspette Large annual antiques and junk fair always held on the fourth Sunday in October. 3km of stands out of doors, numbering some 400 exhibitors in all. 9am-6pm.	Eperlecques near St-Omer 62

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