Trade shows and fairs in Brittany

Good to know about fairs and trade shows in Brittany

The fair is a long-standing fixture of Breton market towns: once devoted to livestock and farm produce, it now mixes equipment dealers, craftspeople, funfair rides and food stands, and some still hold a livestock competition. Shows, by contrast, focus on a single theme: home and garden, food and wine, wellbeing, antiques, collectors of postcards or records, model making.

Book fairs have a special place in Brittany, where regional publishing is active: they bring together authors, publishers and booksellers for signings and talks, often with a section devoted to books about Brittany or in the Breton language. The big shows are held in the exhibition centres of the main cities, the smaller ones in local community halls.

Many shows are free to enter, others charge, and exhibitors sometimes hand out free passes. Allow plenty of time, as the larger shows take several hours to get round, and find out about parking, which often fills up at weekends. To find a show or fair near you, the site's search shows upcoming dates around an address or your current location, on a map and in a list.