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Things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (May 10-13)

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cathedral saint andres in color

Another long weekend ahead of us and this time I’ve made a special effort to fill your diaries with a variety of events. If you happen to stay in the Bordeaux region for the weekend, we have a bit of everything, a tango festival in Bordeaux, A medieval festival in Landiras, a music festival in Talence, new exhibitions and much more.

Here is the list of things to do this weekend in and around Bordeaux (May 10-13):

Festivals, Salons and Special events

Bordeaux Tango Festival

The 6th edition of the Bordeaux Tango Festival is taking place on May 8-13. This cool festival connects Bordeaux and the place where Tango was born, Buenos Aires. A variety of activities will be offered to celebrate the link between these two cities, such as music, art, cinema, literature and of course dance. Most of it will take place in Espace St. Remi, except the events on Friday which will take place at the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon.

See the program of the festival.

When:May 8-13
Where: 4 Rue Jouannet, 33000 Bordeaux

The Medieval Festival of South Gironde

The Medieval Festival of Gironde will take place in the Cabiros forest in Landiras (about 40 min south of Bordeaux) on May 12-13. This unique site, at the heart of the forest, creates a perfect atmosphere for this festival giving you the feeling that you have been transported to medieval times. The medieval village, the costumes and the sword fighting are only part of the activities that will help you discover the history and habits of those ancient times. A free fire show will be offered on Saturday night!

The ticket price for the whole festival is 10€  and it’s free to kids under 12.  For more info check out the website of the festival.

When: May 12-13
Where: Landiras, 33720

 

Mayday Festival in Talence

Mayday is a student festival taking place in the university campus in Talence on May 12-13. The artists that will preform during these two days of concerts will represent a mix of different musical genres from rock to electronic music, reggae and rap. Besides live music, the festival will also include other activities and entertainment, such as art exhibitions, a chill out area, a campus visit and more.

The festival is free, for more info check out their facebook page.

 

mayday festival in Talence

When: May 12-13
Where: 351 cours de la libération, 33400 Talence

Salon de l’agriculture of Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Salon de l’agriculture  of Nouvelle Aquitaine is an annual event of ten days where you get to discover the agricultural richness of our area through different information stands and activities. For example, a farm space with many animals and plants will be put in place and will provide interesting activities for both kids and adults. Another feature that may attract you is the Gastronomy and Wine space which will highlight the exceptional heritage of the region.

The Salon de l’agriculture is part of a larger event taking place at the same time (Foire Internationale de Bordeaux) and will take place on May 12-21 in Parc des Expositions. For more  info check out the website, for tickets click here.

salon de l'agriculture bordeaux

When: May 12-19
Where: Parc des Expositions
How much: 8 euros/ 20 euros for a family pass ( at least 4 people).

Cathedral nights 

The Cathedral of Saint André in Bordeaux invites you to the Cathedral Nights events that will include two nights of musical concerts (May 11-12) and one day (May 13) of Organ music. The beautiful lightning of the Cathedral at night will make this an unforgettable event.

For more information click here.

Cathedral nights saint andre

When: May 11-13
Where: Place Pey-Berland, 33000 Bordeaux

Slavery remembrance week

This week (until May 13) is  a week dedicated to the commemoration of slavery, slave trade and their abolition. Slavery once being
A week during which Bordeaux pays tribute to the struggles of all of those who, like Martin Luther King, were committed to freedom and equality.

Take a look on the full program of this week here.

Remembrance of Slavery week in Bordeaux

When: May 2-13
Where:  Different places in Bordeaux (consult the program).

Camp Blaye- the resistance in the citadel

Two local associations, whose agenda is to commemorate the history of the Médoc region during the two world wars, invites you to la Citadelle de Blaye for a weekend (May 12-13) of military battles reenactments during both wars in the citadel . Through this event you will learn about the part this region took in WWll, its occupation, resistance  and liberation. Also, the event will celebrate 100 years to the end of WWI.

The event is free, see the program on the site of the citadel.

CAMP BLAYE 2018 LA RESISTANCE DANS LA CITADELLE

When: May 12-13
Where:  Citadelle de Blaye, 33900 Blaye

Aquarelle day at  the Marquèze Ecomuseum

Marquèze ecomuseum is located in the beautiful natural regional park of Landes de Gascogne and is one of the first éco-museums in France. The mission of this museum is to preserve, study and transfer the patrimony of the Grande Lande region. This Saturday (May 12) the museum and the Landes Aquarelle association invite you to a watercolor day. Diverse activities will take place during the day, among them painting workshops for adults and kids and demonstrations of different activities in the Marquèze neighborhood.

The ticket price is 14 € for adults and 9.5 € for kids. See the program here.

Train-marqueze-sabres

When: May 12
Where:  Route de la Gare, 40630 Sabres

CULTURE

Corpus Focus – a journey of a dance

Corpus Focus is a dance project that has been running since March. It brings together 4 renowned international choreographers with dancers (from the Adage dance school) that will perform their new creations. The third edition of Corpus Focus takes place in different locations in Bordeaux, and this week (May 10 at 8pm) a dance show will take place at la Grande Poste. The evening will start with a dinner at 20:00 and will continue with the show at 20:30. The entry is free.

Read more about the project here.

Corpus Focus 2018

When: May 10 at 20:00
Where:  7 Rue du Palais Gallien, 33000 Bordeaux

Baroque Music in la Cité du Vin

This music event at the Cité du Vin is part of the exhibition of wine and music (Le Vin & la Musique, accords et désaccords) that has been running in the museum since March.  The conservatory of Bordeaux took upon themselves to interpret the paintings presented at the exhibition. They will give five free performances that will take place this Sunday (May 13) at  10:30 / 11:30 / 14:30 / 15:30 / 16:30 / 17:30. For more info about the event read here, and about the exhibition on the site of the museum.

cite du vin Bordeaux exhibition 2018

When: May 13
Where:  134 Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

Exhibition by Rodolphe Martinez

An exhibition of the artist Rodolphe Martinez about Venice will take place at Institut Bernard Magrez on May 10-20. Martinez has created around 40 pieces of art (paintings, designs, photographs and other mixed techniques) that is intended to describe his relationship with the city of Venice. See more info in the site of the museum.

venise institute bernard magrez bordeaux

When: May 10-20
Where:  16 Rue de Tivoli, 33000 Bordeaux

La Forme du Songe Exposition

La Forme du Songe (the form of a dream) expo will be taking place in Pessac until May 19.  The art exhibition presents the work of three very different artists, each dealing with dreams in their own way.  The entry is free on Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays between 14:30 – 18:00. For more info click here.

sortie 13 pessac exhibition

When: Until May 19
Where:  Sortie 13, Rue Walter Scott, 33600 Pessac

Remigio ROSANI – Exhibition 

An Exhibition of the Italian artist Remogio Rosani is taking place at the Musée de la Création Franche in Begles (16 March- 28 May 2018). His brightly colored drawings are executed in oil pastel and the dominant theme in his work is hedonism and carnal relationships. See more info. 

When: March 16- May 28
Where: 58 avenue du Maréchal de Lattre de Tassigny ,33130 Bègles

Animal drawings exhibition

An exhibition of  animal drawings, made by kids (4 to 15 years years old) will take place at  Hall d’exposition Méli Mél’arts in Cenon on May 11-13. The paintings will then participate in a contest, whose results will be announced at the end of the exhibition. This is an opportunity to discover new talent in the region. For more info click here.

event_exposition-l-exposition-animal-2018_158374

When: Until May 11-24
Where: Hall d’exposition Méli Mél’arts Cenon, 24 bis rue Camille Pelletan 33150

Jazz concert at le Caillou

le Caillou is a jazz bar/ restaurant with live music concerts, located next to Jardin Botanique on the rive droite of the Garonne. During the long holiday the place will hold concerts of different genres of Jazz music, see the full program.

When: Until May  10-12
Where: Espl. Linné, 33100 Bordeaux

 

Do you have other events to add to the list? Please share them in the comments so all of us can enjoy them 🙂

And please share the post with your friends, thanks!

 

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In Weekend plans

Things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (May 4-6)

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place de la comedie bordeaux

This May, holidays are so nicely spread that it feels like there’s no time to work. Some of you will be taking little ‘ponts’ and going away for a long weekend, but for those of you staying in the area, don’t be discouraged, there are great things to do this weekend.
Here is the list of things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (May 4-6):

Festivals, Salons and Special events

The opening of La Guinguette chez Alriq

One of the best places to spend a sunny weekend is about to reopen for the summer season. La Guinguette chez Alriq is a bar at la Bastide neighborhood, on rive droite of the Garonne. On a sunny day you can enjoy a cold beer,  nice food and daily concerts with a magnificent view of the Garonne river. The  opening weekend will take place on May 3-6 and 4 festive opening nights have already been announced, with music shows dedicated to different music genres.

See the full program for the weekend HERE.

chez alriq la guinguette
Photo by: Chez Alriq la Guinguette
When: May 3-6
Where: ZA Quai des Queyries, Port Bastide, 33100 Bordeaux

Brocante des Quinconces

The big brocante of Bordeaux is hosted twice a year at place des Quinconces with 200 antique dealers, horticulturists, restaurants and craftsmen.  The dealers of the 100th edition of the brocante  will present their furniture, paintings, dishes and other antiques until May 8, so if you’re hunting for a nice piece to decorate you apartment, use this long weekend, as your next opportunity will be in November.

brocante des quinconces
photo by: Lost in Bordeaux
When: April 20 – May 8
Where: Place des Quinconces

Burdi’Color run in Pessac

La Burdi’Color is an annual event of running (5km), color and music taking place in Pessac. This event is not about competition but rather an entertaining way to encourage sports. What does color has to do with it? during a color run natural color powder is thrown at you by other participants and the runners end up looking like running rainbows.  The event will take place on May 5 and will cost 24 euros per ticket. To participate in the run, you will have to purchase your tickets in advance – for tickets and more info.

https://fullevent.fr/event/index/burdi-color-2018

When: May 5
Where: The festival village will be located in front of the BEC, next to la maison des arts, PESSAC (33600).

Banzai Lab- an independent music festival

This is the 10th edition of the Banzai – Lab, the independent music festival of Bordeaux that takes place in Le Rocher de Palmer in Cenon on May 4-5. To celebrate its anniversary le Rocher de Palmer invites you to two full days of concerts of different genres: Hip-hop, Electro, Dub and more.

See the full program,  and buy tickets here.

For more info about the artists see the website of the festival.

When:May 4-5
Where:1 Rue Aristide Briand, 33152 Cenon

Robot Makers’ Day

The robotic Festival of the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region is taking place this week (May 3-5) in Talence. The first two days of the festival are open only to  robotics companies, students and anyone from the robotics domain. The last day (May 5) however is open to the public and it’s free. This is a nice opportunity to discover cool robotics technology by attending the Open RoboCupJunior France competition, discovering the stands of the participating companies and associations and participating in coding activities. Moreover, for kids over 4 years old, free coding workshops will be put in place. You never know if there is a robotics geek hidden inside your child waiting to get out 🙂

For more info check out the site of the festival and the list of the companies.

robotic festival nouvelle aquitaine

When: May 5 (9am-6pm)
Where: INP ENSEIRB-MATMECA,  33400 Talence. Parking at; 12 avenue de Collegno 33400 Talence

 

Culture

Speedy Graphito – Urban Fever at Institut Bernard magrez

While the street art exhinition is still running at the beautiful chateau of Institut Bernard Magrez, a new expo has started just two weeks ago, all dedicated to the French street artist Speedy Graphito. The artist is globally considered as one of the biggest names of his generation in street art. He uses many forms of art –  painting, sculpture, photo, video and more to express his innovative and sometimes political ideas. The exhibition will be presented until July 15.

Check out the website of Speedy graphito to explore the works of the artist and the website of the museum for more information about the exhibition.

When: April 19– July 15
Where: 16 rue de Tivoli, Bordeaux

Exhibition of the designer Martin Szekely 

Le musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design will present the works of the  designer Martin Szekely at the new exposition space, behind hôtel de Lalande (the house of the museum).  This is an opportunity to discover a variety of the artist’s works, gathered around the theme of construction. The exhibition will be presented in the museum from April 26 to September 16.

For more info.

From the designs of Martin Szekely
When: April 26 – September 16
Where: 39 rue Bouffard, 33000 Bordeaux

Exhibition by the painter Olivier Specio

An exhibition by the painter Olivier Specio will be presented between May 4 and May 19 at the Laboratiore Bx, the center of contemporary art. Olivier Specio, is an artist working in Bordeaux and Berlin, whose works are being presented in different galleries in many cities in Europe and the US.  The vernissage of the expo will take place this Friday (May 4) at 7pm with the presence of the painter himself. The entry is free.

For more info about the expo check out the facebook page. To learn more about the gallery, take a look on their website.

olivier Specio laboratoire bx 2018

When: May 4-19
Where: 4 Bis Rue Buhan, 33000 Bordeaux.

Expolaroid- instant photography month

The Volcan is a new place in the Bacalan neighborhood dedicated to alternative art and culture. This week (until May 6) they hold a Polaroid exhibition with a long list of photographers you’d want to check out.

For more details click here.

volcan expolaroid

When: April 27- May 6
Where: 72 rue Bourbon, 33300 Bordeaux, France

TOUS À L’OPÉRA 2018

The National Opera of Bordeaux invites you to discover ballet. A Full day of Activities and meetups are planned for Sunday (May 6) where you can get to know the new director of the Opera, Eric Quilleré, meet the dancers, try a ballet class and get familiar with the process of creating a choreography. The program includes public rehearsal, performances, workshops for kids and more. The events will take place form 11 am to 6:30 pm, some of them require prior registration.

For more info check out the site of the Opera.

michael-afonso-423393-unsplash (1)
Photo by Michael Afonso on Unsplash
When: May 6 (11am- 6:30pm)
Where: Place de la Comédie, 30000 Bordeaux, France

STARMANIA- Artistic show on ice 

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of ice skating sports in Bordeaux a special show will be given at la Patinoire Mériadeck on May 5. Around 280 dancers and skaters will take place in an event to perform different choreographies from different disciplines of ice skating.

For more info and tickets click HERE.

ice skating concert meriadeck

When: May 6 (11am- 6:30pm)
Where: Place de la Comédie, 30000 Bordeaux, France

 

Do you have other events to add to the list? Please share them in the comments so all of us can enjoy them 🙂

And please share the post with your friends, thanks!

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In What to do

10 things to do in Bordeaux in May

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vineyard in Saint Emilion France

The weather may not be getting warmer but Bordeaux’s event calendar is definitely getting  hotter. Plenty of activities are waiting for us in May, festivals, concerts, cultural events, music and more; there is an event for everyone.  In this list I just want to give you a heads up on the 10 biggest events in and around Bordeaux this month, so that you could plan ahead and buy tickets if necessary. As usual weekly updates will be published in the following weeks to give you the full coverage of the events in Bordeaux.

Bordeaux Geek Festival

Comics, science fiction, video games, parallel worlds, creative industries – you’ll find all of these at the next Bordeaux Geek festival (BGF), that will take place May 19-21 at Parc des Expositions. The goal of this festival is to experience geek culture and share knowledge on topics that are at the heart of the Geek community 🙂 The BGF will bring together different players from these industries, among them: video artists, gamers, illustrators, designers, scientists, authors, comedians and more. The festival will also include four big contests where people can win quite impressive awards: BGF E-Sport, BGF Awards, BGF Makers and  BGF Comics.

For more details and tickets.

When: May 19-21
Where: Hall 3 and 1 – Parc des Expositions, 33000 Bordeaux

Take your picnic to the Vineyard

Wine activities and picnics are two favorite French activities, so why not combine them? Usually, the vines, owned by the different chateaux can only be visited as part of a guided tour in the chateau, however this month you have an opportunity to bring your picnic basket and spend a great day with your family and friends in the vineyards. The principle is quite simple: You bring your own picnic and the chateau will provide the wine and entertainment.

Around 400 different wine domains are participating in the event that will take place during the long weekend of May 19-21. More than 1000 activities are proposed to families by the participating chateaux, they will reflect the specialty of the chateaux and the area, among them: art workshops, concerts, bike tours and more.

There are 17 participating Chateaux in the Bordeaux area-  See the list
Find a chateaux in other areas in France click HERE. 
The places are limited so reserving a spot as soon as possible is recommended.

picnic between the vines of Bordeaux area

When:May 19-21

ODP Music Festival in Peixotto

This is the fourth edition of the ODP Festival, whose objective is to raise funds for the orphans of firefighters that have died on duty. The festival will take place on the long weekend of Ascension, May 18-20, in Park Peixotto in the center of Talence. Here is a list of some of the acts that will perform at the festival: – NTM, alt-J, Ibeyi, Coeur de Pirate, BALOJI, Dätcha Mandala, Laurent Lamarca, Da silva officiel, Gauvain Sers, Les Négresses Vertes –

The prices go from 35€ to 45€  for a day ticket, 60€ to 70€  for a two days pass and  100 € for a 3 days pass – see tickets.

For more details and tickets go to the website of the festival and the facebook page.

ODP festival peixotto 2018

When: May 18- 20
Where: Parc du Château Peixotto, 33400 Talence

The Medieval Festival of South Gironde

The Medieval Festival of Gironde will take place in the Cabiros forest in Landiras (about 40 min south of Bordeaux) on May 12-13. This unique site, at the heart of the forest, creates a perfect atmosphere for this festival giving you the feeling that you have been transported to medieval times. The medieval village, the costumes and the sword fighting are only part of the activities that will help you discover the history and habits of those ancient times. A free fire show will be offered on Saturday night!

The ticket price for the whole festival is 10€  and it’s free to kids under 12.  For more info check out the website of the festival.

When: May 12-13
Where: Landiras, 33720

Go to a secret event at the Festival de Caves

Festival de Caves (Cellars festival) is an underground theater festival, gathering a small number of spectators in cellars and other underground places throughout the city. In Bordeaux, the festival will take place on May 16-27 and will run the whole month of May in different cities in France.  So where are those city cellars we are talking about you ask? Well that’s the whole idea, these events are being kept secret and the locations will be revealed to those who reserved their spot only on the day of the shows. The launching of the festival will take place on May 16 (7pm) at the Marché des Douves. The event is free and will include a concert, a buffet and the presentation of the artists taking part in the festival.  

Check out the full program on the website of the event. For more details click here.

festival-de-caves-theatre-souterrain
photo by: Compagnie Gbouillon
When:May 16-27
Where: locations are secret for now 🙂 , the lauching event: Marché des Douves. 4 Rue des Douves, 33800 Bordeaux
How much: full price is 12€/ reduced price is 10€. The launching event is free of charge.

Banzai Lab- an independent music festival

This is the 10th edition of the Banzai – Lab, the independent music festival of Bordeaux that takes place in Le Rocher de Palmer in Cenon on May 4-5. To celebrate its anniversary le Rocher de Palmer invites you to two full days of concerts of different genres: Hip-hop, Electro, Dub and more.

See the full program, the prices and buy tickets here.

For more info about the artists see the website of the festival.

When:May 4-5
Where:1 Rue Aristide Briand, 33152 Cenon

Learn how to dance at the Bordeaux Tango Festival

The 6th edition of the Bordeaux Tango Festival will take place May 8-13. This hot festival connects Bordeaux and the place where Tango was born, Buenos Aires. A variety of activities will be offered to celebrate the link between these two cities, such as music, art, cinema, literature and of course dance. Most of the event will take place in Espace St. Remi, except the events on Friday which will take place at the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon.

See the program of the festival.

When:May 8-13
Where: 4 Rue Jouannet, 33000 Bordeaux

Let your kids discover the art of circus at the Festival Jubil’à Jongle

The 12th edition of the festival will start with an inauguration evening on May 25, which will include magic and fire shows, different activities for kids and even a rock concert. The second day (May 26) of the festival will allow you and your kids to discover the art of circus and street entertainment through shows of Juggling, magic, games and introductory workshops. The festival will take place at the Parc de Fongravey in Blanquefort.

For more info click here.

Flyer_programme_Jubil_2018

When: May 25-26
Where:4 Parc de Fongravey in Blanquefort

 

Last chance to see the Digital Abysses expo 

If you still didn’t go to the incredible Base sous- Marine to see the currently running exhibition, this is your last chance. The Digital Abysses exhibition, by the digital artist Miguel Chevalier, will be presented until May 20, so hurry up.  His fantastic work of art explores nature through underwater plants and wildlife. The characteristics of this unique place with the combination of fixed works and interactive digital installations makes it a special experience.

See more details.

base sous marine
photo by: Ira Szmuk
Address:  Boulevard Alfred Daney, 33300 Bordeaux

Brocante des Quinconces

The big brocante of Bordeaux is hosted twice a year at place des Quinconces with 200 antique dealers, horticulturists, restaurants and craftsmen. This spring is the 100th edition of the brocante and it will take place from April 20 to May 8.

When: April 20 – May 8
Where: Place des Quinconces

Hope the sun will soon be back with us!

If you know of any other interesting events in Bordeaux and the area, please let me know in the comments below and I will be sure to add them to my weekly list of things to do in Bordeaux.

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Things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (April 27- May 1)

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saint-emilion

This is the first long weekend in the French long weekends month, aka les ponts du mois de mai. The biggest even this weekend is the Open doors in Saint-Emilion, as it gives you the opportunity to visit some of the top châteaux  in the Bordeaux wine region. If you want to stay in town, there are plenty of things to do without ever taking the tram: les Vivres de l’Art are celebrating their 10th anniversary, the great Brocante of Bordeaux is back and much more.

Here is the list of things to do this long weekend in Bordeaux (April 27-May 1):

Festivals, Salons and Special events

Open doors in Saint-Emilion

An open doors weekend will take place on April 29 to May 1 at Saint-Emilion where 84 chateaux will hold open door events and will propose different activities to the visitors. Some châteaux (such as Château Fleur Cardinale) will start their open doors weekend April 28.

On the event website you can see the participating châteaux , the activities and the wine tasting proposed for that weekend – see more info.

When: April 28 – May 1

Brocante des Quinconces

The big brocante of Bordeaux is hosted twice a year at place des Quinconces with 200 antique dealers, horticulturists, restaurants and craftsmen.  The 100th edition of the brocante has started on April 20 and will continue until May 8.

brocante des quinconces
photo by: Lost in Bordeaux
When: April 20 – May 8
Where: Place des Quinconces

Les Vivres de l’Art avec 5 sens – 50h à Vivre

To celebrate their 10 year anniversary Les Vivres de l’Art, in the Bacalan neighborhood, will hold a weekend full of cultural experiences that will stimulate all your senses. In the program: cultural events, concerts, expositions, conferences, ateliers visits, circus workshop for kids and more. If you still haven’t had the opportunity to visit this incredible place, don’t miss the chance to do it now. The 50h à Vivre will take place from April 29 at 16:00 to May 1 at 18:00, the entrance is free.

To see the full program, check out the program of the event.

Les Vivres de l'Art in Bordeaux
Les Vivres de l’Art – a magical place in the north of Bordeaux
When: April 29- May 1
Where: 4 Rue Achard, 33300 Bordeaux

 

Fête de l’Asperge du Blayais

la Fête de l’Asperge du Blayais in Etauliers , that will take place on April 28-29, is all about celebrating the greatness of asparagus. More than 8000 visitors are expected to stroll along the 50 exhibitors of local delights and enjoy the activities offered to both adults and kids (make up sessions, mini farm, pony rides).

See the full program.

When: April 28-29
Where: Place principale, 33820 Etauliers

Spring Market in Lormont

The spring market is an annual festive event organized by several associations in Lormont. Besides bio products, you will find stands of local crafts, plants and more. The event will include food stands and tastings of local specialties and will be accompanied by different musical shows. It’s your chance to discover this little town on the bank of the Garonne.

marché de printemps Lormont
Marché de Printemps in Lormont in 2017
When: April 28
Where: Place Aristide Briand 33310 Lormont

Culture

Le Projet Télephone

Le Projet Télephone is a cross-cultural/cross-genre game of telephone featuring International and French artists living in Bordeaux. In September of 2017, a proverb was picked from a hat, and used as an initial inspiration for the first artist, who had two weeks to create something in their genre before passing it along. Seven months later, artists from nine different countries representing 10 different art forms have participated. Follow the proverb from writer to flamenco dancer to DJ to illustrator to songwriter to costume designer to theater company to filmmaker to painter and toast with the creation from the final artist, a mixologist when the proverb is revealed. Le Projet Telephone will be performed on April 29 at 9pm at Les Vivres de l’Art. Admission is free. Arrive early to get a seat.

For more info check out the facebook page of the event.

When: April 29, 9pm
Where: 4 Rue Achard, 33300 Bordeaux

Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs – photography festival

This is your last chance to see this amazing photography exhibition,  the “travelling photographers routes” which has been running this months in several locations across the city and will end on April 29. During the whole month, 17 photography expositions have been presented in the main cultural institutions of the city such as the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon, the Bibliothèque Grand Parc, Espace Saint-Rémi and others.

Get the full list of all artists and more info about the event here.

Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs

Expolaroid- instant photography month

The Volcan is a new place in the Bacalan neighborhood dedicated to alternative art and culture. Starting April 27 they will hold a Polaroid exhibition that includes a long list of photographers.

For more details check out their facebook page.

volcan expolaroid

When: April 27
Where: 72 rue Bourbon, 33300 Bordeaux, France

Le musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design

Le musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design will present the works of the  designer Martin Szekely at the new exposition space, behind hôtel de Lalande (the house of the museum).  This is an opportunity to discover the variety of works of the artist, gathered around the theme of construction. The exhibition will be presented in the museum from April 26 to September 16.

For more info.

From the designs of Martin Szekely
When: April 26 – September 16
Where: 39 rue Bouffard, 33000 Bordeaux

Street Color at Institut Bernard Magrez

An extensive street are exhibition will be presented from April 5 to June 24 at the Institut Bernard Magrez. The expo will include some well known street artists (mostly French ones), such as MAD C (GER), Seth (FRA), d’Alexöne (FRA) and more. This institute is a historic monument dated to the 18th century, so the combination of an ancient chateau with street art will most certainly add to the atmosphere of the exposition.

For more info and tickets.

wall paintings in Montreal by SETH
photo by: Seth
Address:  16 rue de Tivoli, Bordeaux

With Kids

Open doors for kids in Château Cormeil-Figeac  

During the four days of the open doors weekend in Saint-Emilion, Château Cormeil-Figeac proposes a free activity for kids and their families. The event that will take place between April 28 and May 2 provides the future wine lovers the opportunity to get familiar with the wine production world. The parents will also benefit as they will be invited to taste two types of wine.

For more detail see the site of the chateau.

When: April 28- May 2 ( from 1oam-12am and from 2 pm to 7 pm).
Where: Château Cormeil-Figeac, 3 Cormeil, 33330 Saint-Émilion

Fête des Jardins

The garden festival in le Bouscat, that will take place April 28-29, is both a festive and an educational event that celebrates nature. The program includes a big market, gardening workshops (mostly for kids), sportive games, musical activities and much more.
For more details check out the facebook page of the event.
When: April 28- 29
Where: Parc de l’ermitage , Le bouscat, 33110

Le Printemps de Caudéran

The Cauderan neighborhood will also celebrate nature and gardening this weekend (April 28-29) in the beautiful park Bordelais. The event proposes a rich cultural and musical program, different stands, expositions, a skating class and workshops where both kids and adults can learn about plants and the nature in the park.
For more info check out the facebook page of the event.
When: April 28- 29
Where: Bordelais (parc), rue du Bocage 33000 Bordeaux

Do you have other events to add to that list? Please share them in the comments so all of us can enjoy them 🙂

And please share the post with your friends, thanks!

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Things to do this weekend in Bordeaux 19-22 April

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Miroir d'eau in Bordeaux

With the sunny weather outside, many of you will probably spend the weekend at a park, the beach or a terrace with oysters and cold white wine. But for those of you who love their weekends more active, there are plenty of things to do and you don’t want to miss them: big gardening events, the brocante of Quinconces, live painting on the M.U.R de Bordeaux and many more.

Here is the list of things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (April 19-22):

Festivals and Salons

Brocante des Quinconces

The big brocante of Bordeaux is hosted twice a year at place des Quinconces with 200 antique dealers, horticulturists, restaurants and craftsmen. This spring is the 100th edition of the brocante and it will take place from April 20 to May 8.

brocante des quinconces
photo by: Lost in Bordeaux
When: April 20 – May 8
Where: Place des Quinconces

 

Tauzia Fête les Jardins

 Tauzia is a gardening festival that takes place on April 20-22 at the Tauzia chateau in Gradignan.  The event, which received a great amount of interest from the Bordelaise public last year, is full of events and activities for gardening enthusiasts. It will bring together more than 80 exhibitors specialized in the world of plants: plant producers, landscape designers, artists, collections, horticulturists and in general people with an exceptional knowledge of plants. You will be able to buy plants, flowers and shrubs in the beautiful English park of Chateau Tauzia and also get advice from the specialists on how to maintain your garden.
TAUZIA FÊTE LES JARDINS
TAUZIA FÊTE LES JARDINS
When: April 20-22
Where: Château de Tauzia, 216 Cours du Général de Gaulle, 33170 Gradignan
How much: 7 euros, free for women with a name of a flower or a fruit and to all people named Olivier 🙂

 

Different activities

Cannele d’adresses – Launch event

This Saturday (April 21) Cannele d’adresses, the free guide of Bordeaux, will launch its 9th edition in a big event that will take place at the Place Pey Berland. The program includes: concerts, social games for kids and adults, live art creation (live painting and creation of jewelry), catering facilities and more.

For more detail check out the facebook page of the event.

le cennele d'adresses
le cennele d’adresses
When: April 21 (10:00 – 19:00)
Where: Place Pey Berland, Bordeaux

Urban Gardening in Parc aux Angéliques

An event of urban agriculture will take place this weekend (April 21-22) at Parc aux Angéliques ( in front of la guinguette chez alriq) which is located on the quai of la Bastide neighborhood. Come make your own seed bomb, seeds and barter plants , exchange information about gardening books and the shared gardens in your neighborhood. If you’re a city person but gardening is your thing, this is your moment to join the urban agriculture community of Bordeaux.

For more info check out their site and facebook page.

When: April 21-22
Where: Quai des Queyries, 33100 Bordeaux

 

Discover Black Kites at the Bouscat forest

An interesting tour will take place on April 21 at the Bois du Bouscat that will introduce you to the world of black kites and other birds of prey like hawks, owls and buzzards. The event requires a reservation: 05 57 22 27 62.

When: April 21 – 10:00
Where: Bois du Bouscat

Culture

Le M.U.R de Bordeaux

The work of Zarb, the street artist will be the one decorating the big graffiti wall, called le M.U.R de Bordeaux. You can meet him and see him perform his art on the wall on April 18-20.

For more info check out the facebook page of the event.

le mur de Bordeaux
le mur de Bordeaux
When: April 18-20
Where: place Paul et Jean-Paul Avisseau 33300 Bordeaux

Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs – photography festival

The 28th edition of the “travelling photographers routes” festival is taking place April 1-29. During this month, 17 photography expositions will be presented in the main cultural institutions of the city such as the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon, the Bibliothèque Grand Parc, Espace Saint-Rémi and others.

Get the full list of all artists and more info about the event here.

Street Color at Institut Bernard Magrez

An extensive street are exhibition will be presented from April 5 to June 24 at the Institut Bernard Magrez. The expo will include some well known street artists (mostly French ones), such as MAD C (GER), Seth (FRA), d’Alexöne (FRA) and more. This institute is a historic monument dated to the 18th century, so the combination of an ancient chateau with street art will most certainly add to the atmosphere of the exposition.

For more info and tickets.

wall paintings in Montreal by SETH
photo by: Seth
Address:  16 rue de Tivoli, Bordeaux

 

With Kids

Planétarium in Cap Sciences

This is the last weekend (until  April 22) for the Planétarium in Cap Sciences, where your kids can discover and learn about the biggest mysteries of the universe. The planetarium will make a real time simulation of the night’s sky and will populate it with more than 3000 stars, planets and galaxies. The visit to the planetarium is limited to kids older than 8. For ages 3 to 5, they will offer storytelling sessions . It is recommended to reserve tickets online as the sessions for the planetarium are limited to groups of only 19 people.
When: April 7-22 (14h15, 15h, 15h45)
Where: Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

Explore the behind the scenes of the Opera 

“Le Vin & la Musique, accords et désaccords” is an exposition currently presented at the Cité du vin, that makes various fascinating connections between music and wine as they are reflected in different works of art. Until the end of spring break (April 22) the museum will hold a workshop for kids that will allow them to enjoy this exhibition as well. Kids (ages 8-12) will discover the magic world of the Opera through its costumes and decorations. At the end of the workshop they will create their own opera decorations.

For more details and reservations.

LE VIN & LA MUSIQUE, ACCORDS ET DÉSACCORDS
When: April 7-22
Where: 1, esplanade de Pontac Bordeaux
How much: 9€

Drinking/ Fooding/ Shopping

Dining in the Dark

Tables Vatel restaurant invites you to a sensory experience of blind dining on April 21. This blind dinner will evoke all your other senses and intensify the taste and the odor.  The profits from the evening will go to the GIHP association  (Groupement d’Insertion des personnes Handicapées Physiques) and a few volunteers from the association will accompany you during the dinner.

Reservations can be made by phone  05 56 11 58 88 or on la fourchette, for more info.

When: April 21- 19:30
Where: 114-115 quais des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux, France
How much: 46€

 

Open doors at Lalande de Pomerol

An event of open doors at the Lalande de Pomerol appellation will take place on April 21-22. During the weekend, 28 Châteaux will offer tours, tastings and many other activities.

See the full list of Châteaux  and what they offer during the weekend.
See more information about all the  Châteaux.

LALANDE-DE-POMEROL-R°-IMPRESSION - open doors

When: April 21- 22
Where: Lalande de pomerol

 

Concerts/ Shows/ Games

La Romance de Paris – Cabaret show

La Coupole theater in Saint Loubès welcomes you to the romantic era of Paris with the most famous French chansons from the 50s, 60s and the 70s. 

For more info.

When: April 19
Where: La Coupole,36 chemin de Nice, 33450 Saint-Loubès
How much: 27 €

Go for a concert and drink at Casa Latina

Casa Latina hold concerts of different singers and bands almost every night. This weekend the program includes shows of two reggae bands.  Check out the full list of events.

Where: 59 quai des chartron, 33300 Bordeaux

 

Enjoy the list and hit the share buttons to spread the word to your friends 🙂

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Things to do this weekend in Bordeaux 13-15 April

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place du parlement bordeaux

Last weekend was all about getting out of the city to discover chateaux and do some wine tastings. So before we get on to the more standard tipsy weekends, it’s time to take one weekend for more relaxed activities such as art and gardening. That is not the case however for our night program which is full of nice surprises.

This is the list of things to do this weekend in Bordeaux (April 13-15):

Culture

L’image livre-Czech avant-garde artists of the 20s.

The exhibition “L’image-livre” presents a private collection of Czech book covers from the graphic designer Pierre Ponant from the period of 1920 -1930. The exhibition offers a window to modern creation in the graphic world through  a collection of more than 100 pieces of art.

For more info.

When: January 25- May 5
Where: 39 rue Bouffard, 33000 Bordeaux

Street Color at Institut Bernard Magrez

An extensive street are exhibition will be presented from April 5 to June 24 at the Institut Bernard Magrez. The expo will include some well known street artists (mostly French ones), such as MAD C (GER), Seth (FRA), d’Alexöne (FRA) and more. This institute is a historic monument dated to the 18th century, so the combination of an ancient chateau with street art will most certainly add to the atmosphere of the exposition.

For more info and tickets.

wall paintings in Montreal by SETH
photo by: Seth
Address:  16 rue de Tivoli, Bordeaux

Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs – photography festival

The 28th edition of the “travelling photographers routes” festival is taking place April 1-29. During this month, 17 photography expositions will be presented in the main cultural institutions of the city such as the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon, the Bibliothèque Grand Parc, Espace Saint-Rémi and others.

Get the full list of all artists and more info about the event here.

Photo by Jean Paul Lefret
Photo by Jean Paul Lefret

 

Festivals and Salons

Convention Tattoo Bordeaux 

The international tattoo convention of Bordeaux will take place on the weekend of April 14-15 in Hangar 14, which is located at Quai des Chartrons.  The program includes: a tattoo contest, expositions, live concerts and different activities such as juggling and brake-dancing.

a girl with tattoos
Photo by Timothy Paul Smith on Unsplash
When: April 14-15
Where: hangar 14, 115 Quai des Chartrons, 33000 Bordeaux
How much: 15 € /day

Festival of urban cultures in Lormont

Festival des cultures urbaines in Lormont is taking place From March 31 to April 14. The festival revolves around urban culture and its artistic expressions with a program that includes concerts, workshops and activities of art, sport, dance and more.  Although the festival is close to its end, you can still enjoy some interesting shows this weekend so check out the program.

When: March 31- April 14
Where: Brassens Camus, Rue Henri Dunant, 33310 Lormont

With Kids

Spring Break

Spring Break in the Bordeaux area started almost a week ago and I know many of you are out of ideas for things to do to entertain the kids. If you need some help, check out my list of six things to do over Spring break.

skating on the quai in Bordeaux
photo by: @lost_in_bordeaux

Architecture workshops for kids

CIAP (the center of interpretation of world heritage) of Bordeaux will hold an architecture workshop for kids (aged 4-8) on April 14. And while your kids practice their skills, building with Kapla, you have the chance to discover the urban landscape of Bordeaux and the challenges of its evolution.

When: April 14, 10:30
Where: 4 place de la Bourse, 33000 Bordeaux
How much: 5€ (free for the parents)

Explore the behind the scenes of the Opera 

“Le Vin & la Musique, accords et désaccords” is an exposition currently presented at the Cité du vin, that makes various fascinating connections between music and wine as they are reflected in different works of art. During the spring break (April 7-22) the museum added a workshop for kids that will allow them to enjoy this exhibition as well. Kids (ages 8-12) will discover the magic world of the Opera through its costumes and decorations. At the end of the workshop they will create their own opera decorations.

For more details and reservations.

When: April 7-22
Where: 1, esplanade de Pontac Bordeaux

Explore dinosaurs 

A fun activity for kids takes place this week at the commercial center of Bordeaux Lac (until April 14). Your kids will discover the dinosaurs world through a variety of activities such as virtual reality, dinosaur egg hunt, selfies with dinosaurs and more.

 

LES DINOSAURES DÉBARQUENT À BORDEAUX ! | AUSHOPPING BORDEAUX LAC
When: April 10-14
Where: Avenue Quarante Journaux, 33300 Bordeaux

Different activities

Le Printemps du Bourgailh

Le Printemps du Bourgailh is the must go event for all plant lovers, aspiring gardeners or just environmentally conscious citizens. The event will take place April 14-15,  at the heart of the 75 hectares of l’écosite du Bourgailh.  The program will include a plants market, gardening workshops for kids and grownups, a mobile farm and more.

For more info.

printemps du bourgailh

When: April 14-15
Where: 179, avenue de Beutre – 33600 Pessac
How much: free

Furniture Hospital

Les P’tits Gratteurs, a local association that organizes activities in the St Michel and St. Croix neighborhoods, invites you to repair your old furniture at their event “L’ Hôpital des Meubles” that will take place April 14. Come with your piece of furniture, that you have always wanted to fix but never had the time, and they will provide you with the right materials and equipment.

For more info.

When: April 14
Where: Place Pierre Renaudel, 33800 Bordeaux, France
How much: free

Concerts/ Shows/ Games

Julien Dore

Julien Dore, a talented French singer whose songs you may have heard over French radio,  will give one concert at Theatre Femina on April 13.

For more info and tickets.

When: April 13
Where: 10 Rue de Grassi, 33000 Bordeaux
How much: 40€ to 60€

Holidays on Ice

A musical spectacle on ice will take place April 13 at the Meriadeck rink. For info and tickets.
When: April 13
Where: 95, cours du Marechal Juin, 33000 Bordeaux

 

Drinking/ Fooding/ Shopping

Sounds of Science – Brunch Electronique

Aux vivres de l’art will host an electro-music brunch on April 15. In the program: a food truck and a cool line up: Panic acoustik, C’Ams, Dunas, DJ Deep Rod Sepheu (South Africa).
For more info and tickets. 

When: April 15 at 14:00
Where: 4 rue Achard, 33300 Bordeaux, France

Vide Dressing so Chic à Bordeaux

Come to participate in a big fashion sale of 30 friends that gathered their wardrobe at the “Vide Dressing so Chic” event that will take place on April 14 at Espace Nomade. If you want to make some space in your closet and donate some of you clothes, the Fringuette association will be happy to collect them.

For more info.

banner of vide dressing nomande bordeaux

Where: 39 rue du chateau d’eau, 33000 Bordeaux, France
When: April 14 (10am- 7pm)

 

Erasmus Festa do Brasil

For the students among you, or just people who like to party, Erasmus Bordeaux invites you this Friday (April 13) to their Festa do Brazil-  Samba, cocktails and a tropical vibe. The party will take place at the Torito Bar.

for more info.

banner erasmus party

Where: 47 cours alsace lorraine, 33000 Bordeaux, France
When: April 13

Le M restaurant, headed by the two talented chefs Arno and David invites you to their event Music by Night this Friday (April 13).  The evening will start with TRIO 180c and will continue into the night with DJ YOUCEED, accompanied by surprising cocktails and delicious tapas.  Come and join them in their celebration!

Where: 53 Rue Lafaurie Monbadon. 33000 Bordeaux
When: April 13

 

Enjoy the weekend!

 

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In Bordeaux with Kids

Six things to do with kids in Bordeaux over spring break

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skating on the quai in Bordeaux

Entertaining kids during a two weeks vacation can be a very demanding task. Although Spring vacation in the Bordeaux area started just a few days ago, some parents already feel exhausted by the daily search for interesting things to do with their kids. So if  you feel you have covered all the activities in the city and you don’t know what else to do with your kids in the next two weeks, here are six ideas for things to do in Bordeaux on vacances de Pâques 2018.

Planétarium in Cap Sciences

For the next two weeks (April 7-22) Cap Sciences invites your kids to discover and learn about the biggest mysteries of the universe. The planetarium will make a real time simulation of the night’s sky and will populate it with more than 3000 stars, planets and galaxies. The visit to the planetarium is limited to kids older than 8. For ages 3 to 5, they will offer storytelling sessions . It is recommended to reserve tickets online as the sessions for the planetarium are limited to groups of only 19 people.
stars
Photo by Kyle Gregory Devaras on Unsplash
When: April 7-22 (14h15, 15h, 15h45)
Where: Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

Guided visit at the Musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design

The museum of decorative art and design hosts an exhibition of book cover designs. This week (April 11-13), the museum proposes a guided visit of the L’image-livre exposition for kids of 6-11 years old. The tour will be followed by a graphic workshop where kids will design a book cover, using the techniques they had just discovered on the tour. Three workshops will take place at the museum:  Wednesday – April 11 – 14h30; Thursday – April 12 – 14h30; Friday – April 13 – 14h30.

For more info.

kids workshop
photo by: musée des Arts décoratifs et du Design de Bordeaux
Address: 39 rue Bouffard, 33000 Bordeaux

Learn Block Climbing

Block’Out Bordeaux, the block climbing center, organized climbing courses during the school vacation. The climbing discovery courses will take place April 9-13, between 10:30 and 12:00. The price of a daily course is 15€.

For more information see the site of blockout.

Address: 3 Rue Georges Barres, 33300 Bordeaux

 

Spectacle for kids

Take your kids to a day show at one of the spectacles of Théâtre La Boîte à Jouer. The program includes different genres such as: comedy, drama, dance and even a puppet show. The shows of the theater are hosted in different places in Bordeaux, among them: Halle des Chartrons, le marché de lerme and vivres de l’art.

See the full program for the school vacation.

Gardening at the Maison du jardinier

La Maison du jardinier in  Parc Rivière  proposes free workshops of gardening for kids during the vacation. The next workshop, “l’atelier du petit jardinier écolo” will take place on April 18 ( 16:00) and will be open to kids of 6 to 14 years old.  It is advised to call them to reserve a spot (05 56 43 28 90).

huge cucumber
a cucumber that went out of control
Address: Maison du jardinier et de la nature en ville, Parc Rivière, rue Mandron, Bordeaux

Discover nature within the city

Let your kids discover one of the two French reserves in a peri-urban area, le Réserve Nationale de Bruges, which is located less than a 30 minutes drive from the center of Bordeaux. With more than 3500 species of plants and animals, the national reserve of Bruges offers a large space for playing and observing the natural life of the region. The reserve is spread over a large green area of 265  hectares. You and your family can go on a 2.5 km round trip, with observation posts on the lake.  le Réserve Nationale de Bruges is free and open Saturday to Wednesday from 10 am to 6 pm.

See  more details.

la réserve naturelle nationale de Bruges
la réserve naturelle nationale de Bruges
Address: Lieu dit “Le Baron”, Avenue des 4 ponts , 33520 Bruges  Tel: 05 56 57 09 89

 

Do you have other ideas for things to do with kids during the vacation? Please share them in the comments below so that other parents could enjoy as well 🙂

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Things to do this weekend in Bordeaux 6-8 April

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wine corcks

There are a few big events and festivals this weekend, among them the open doors weekend in Médoc, the wine festival in Blaye and the vide greniers of Bordeaux which will take place  all around the city. This is also a great weekend for art, there’s an exciting street art exposition, a planetarium and a lot of photography.

There’s definitely a lot to wait for so without further ado, these are the things to do in Bordeaux in the weekend of April 6-8:

Special events

Open doors in Médoc 

To celebrate the beginning of the spring the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin de Pauillac will hold an open doors weekend where you’ll be able to visit all chateaux of the Medoc region and do a lot of wine tasting. The events will take place April 7-8.

To learn about all the events and the chateaux that will participate in the open doors weekend read my post Portes ouvertes in the chateaux of Médoc.

When: April 7-8

Vide-greniers des Bordelais

One of my favorite things to do in France is to wander around vide greniers, discover what French people hold in their homes and buy a lot of stuff I don’t really need at ridiculously low prices. This weekend is a heaven for vide grenier fans. On April 8, more than 20 vide-greniers will take place all over the city. The vide grenier on Barrière Judaïque will take place April 7-8.

The locations are: 

Bordeaux maritime: Place Saint Martial, Place Jean Cayrol (Ginko), Place Buscaillet

Chartrons – Grand Parc – Jardin public: Place Paul Doumer, Quai des Chartrons, Centre social du Grand-Parc, Cours Xavier Arnozan (côté Jardin Public), Rue Matignon
Centre ville: Barrière Judaïque (Saturday and Sunday), Place Pey Berland, Place des Martyrs de la Résistance
St Augustin – Tauzin – Alphonse Dupeux: Place Gaviniès,  Place de la République, Rue Tanesse, Place de l’église
Nansouty – Saint-Genès: Square Liotard (jardin des Barrières), Rue Tanesse, Place Nansouty
Bordeaux Sud: Rue des Douves,  Cours de l’Yser (entre 213 et 232), Place Dormoy, Rue Tanesse, Place Ferdinand Buisson
Caudéran: Parvis de l’église Saint-Amand, Parc Stéhélin, Barrière Judaïque (Saturday and Sunday).

For more details.

vide greniers bordeaux 2018

Culture

Street Color at Institut Bernard Magrez

An extensive street are exhibition will be presented from April 5 to June 24 at the Institut Bernard Magrez. The expo will include some well known street artists (mostly French ones), such as MAD C (GER), Seth (FRA), d’Alexöne (FRA) and more. This institute is a historic monument dated to the 18th century, so the combination of an ancient chateau with street art will most certainly add to the atmosphere of the exposition.

For more info and tickets.

seth-street-art merapi indonesia
Seth street art-Merapi Indonesia
Address:  16 rue de Tivoli, Bordeaux

Itinéraires des Photographes Voyageurs – photography festival

The 28th edition of the “travelling photographers routes” festival is taking place April 1-29. During this month, 17 photography expositions will be presented in the main cultural institutions of the city such as the Rocher de Palmer in Cenon, the Bibliothèque Grand Parc, Espace Saint-Rémi and others.

This weekend you will have the opportunity to hear the stories behind the pictures. On April 6-7 all of the institutions will hold meetings with the participating photographers that will take you through their journey.

Get the full list of all artists and more info about the event here.

04_©Didier Bizet_01
Photo by: Didier Bizet
When: April 6-7

Movie screening of Babette Mangolte

The CAPC (museum of contemporary art of Bordeaux) presents the works of  the French-American cinematographer Babette Mangolte as part of its program dedicated to film and video on April 4-8. The program will include the screenings of the  Roof Piece (1973/2017) and Roof Piece on the High Line (2012), about the American dancer Trisha Brown. The films will be accompanied by an exhibition that will include her first films. For more info.

When: April 4-8
Where: 7 Rue Ferrere, 33000 Bordeaux

Artistes des 4 coins du monde

Hotel de ville de Bordeaux is currently presenting a photography exhibition of French artists originating from other countries around the globe, or as the name of the expo suggests from 4 corners of the world. For more details.

Artistes des 4 coins du monde

When: Until April 12.
Where: Hôtel de ville – Palais Rohan, Place Pey Berland33000 Bordeaux

Festivals and Salons

Festival Musical Écran

Festival Musical Écran ( April 1-8) is a very unique film festival all dedicated to documentaries about music. This year the program of the festival includes 20 films from four different countries.  While the festival already started last weekend there are still plenty of interesting films in the program for the upcoming weekend. The screenings of all the remaining films will be in Cinéma Utopia. 

Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution
Queercore: How to Punk a Revolution
When: April 1-8
Where: 5 Place Camille Jullian, 33000 Bordeaux.
How much: up to 10 €

The Blaye Spring Wine Festival

The Blaye Spring Wine Festival, will take place on April 7-8 at the Blaye Citadel. The annual wine festival brings together more than 80 winemakers with the goal to promote the diversity in the wine world. The program includes discovery workshops (introduction to tasting, mixing workshops and food and wine pairing), guided visits of the citadel, by train or horse and more. Childcare will be made available free of charge in order to allow also parents to enjoy this event.

For the full program and tickets.

When: April 7-8
Where: Citadelle de Blaye, 33390 Blaye

Esclave du livre (literature festival)

Esclave du livre  is a literature association whose goal is to promote reading and to support the creation of new literature. On April 6-8 they will hold a literature festival that will bring together authors and illustrators for debates, public readings, performances and uncovering of pieces that haven’t been published yet.

When: April 6-8
Where:  Place Renaudel – Quartier Ste Croix

Concerts/ Shows/ Games

Virginia Rodrigues in Cenon

Virginia Rodrigues, the Brazilian singer with the amazing voice will give one concert at Le Rocher de Palmer in Cenon on April 6.


When: April 6 / Where: 1 Rue Aristide Briand, 33152 Cenon

Ice Hockey match

Two Ice Hockey matches will be held on April 7-8 at the patinoire de mériadeck.

For more info and tickets.

When: April 7-8
Where:  95 Cours du Maréchal Juin, Bordeaux

Ensemble sax

More than 50  saxophonists will gather for four free concerts, conferences and masters classes at the “Ensemble sax” event  April 5-8.  Four of the 50  are famous personalities in the saxophone world: Dragan Sremec, Serge Bertocchi, Nicolas Prost, Frédéric Couderc.

The schedule of the event is the following:

April 5– 19h30- Conservatoire, salle Ravel : Sax Stories 
April 6– 20h00 – Marché des Douves 
April 7 – 19h30-  Marché des Douves : Les saxophones Nouvelle-Aquitaine 
April 8 – 17h00- Salle Saint-Maurice de Bègles

With Kids

Ludofestival in Canejan

The Ludofestival in Canéjan is a game festival, which will take place April 2-12 and will have an art theme. During the festival families can participate in various competitions, try different games, meet their creators and more. For more info and the schedule about the 12 days festival see here.

When: April 2-12
Where:  8 chemin de Barbicadge ,33610 Canéjan

Planétarium in Cap Sciences

For the next two weeks (April 7-22) Cap Sciences invites your kids to discover and learn about the biggest mysteries of the universe. The planetarium will make simulations of the sky in real time and will reproduce it with more the 3000 stars, planets and galaxies. The visit to the planetarium is limited to kids older than 8. For ages 3 to 5, they will offer storytelling sessions . It is recommended to reserve tickets online as the sessions for the planetarium are limited to groups of only 19 people.
stars
Photo by Kyle Gregory Devaras on Unsplash
When: April 7-22 (14h15, 15h, 15h45)
Where: Hangar 20, Quai de Bacalan, 33300 Bordeaux

Drinking/ Fooding/ Shopping

Per Kilo sale in Amos

Amos, the solidarity shop will hold its annual per kilo sale in April 5-7 in their Marignac shop. The price of a clothing article will be defined by its weight: 5€ per kilo. See more details.

When: April 5-7
Where:  208 Avenue d’Arès, 33700 Mérignac

Atelier de Boulangerie

Learn how to make different types of bread: pain de campagne, bread with nuts, cereals, figs and more. In this workshop, hosted by Kweezine on April 7, you will learn how to knead, weigh, shape and bake bread. you will discover all the tricks that will enable you to recreate the recipes at home.

For more details and tickets.

50s and 60s music party

On April 7 There will be a Vicious Soul party at Quartier Libre. The party will be dedicated to 50s and the 60s music. The lovers of the period can enjoy some Rhythm and Blues, Rock’n’Roll, Soul music and punk from the 60s.

For more details.

When: April 7 at 9pm
Where:  30 rue des Vignes, 33800 Bordeaux

 

Hope you’ll have a productive weekend full of wine, art and shopping! Have fun and share your impressions from the events in the comments below. Thanks!

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In What to do

The bike scene in Bordeaux: Ride, fix and drink it!

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rustic vines

Whether you are into cycling or not, it is plain to see from the sheer number of cycling citizens that Bordeaux is a bike friendly city. Well actually, it’s a fact! Bordeaux is ranked the 6th most bicycle friendly city in the world by Copehagenize. So, whether you are already a cyclist or keen to give it a go Bordeaux is the place to be.

Bordeaux offers so many bicycle related activities, tours and places: dedicated bike paths that go through vineyards to the beach, English speaking bike tour companies and the Musette bicycle café where you can get your bike repaired or just have a delicious coffee, there’s something for everyone.

Today, our guest author Christopher, the owner of Musette bicycle café  and a cycling addict, gives us his take on the cycling scene in Bordeaux.

Bicycles and Coffee

Musette is a coffee shop and bicycle shop rolled into one, combining the best bits of both. Opened in 2017 by two Anglophone expats, it is the first bicycle café in Bordeaux. You can simply stop in to have some great coffee and home-made cake even if you don’t have a bike. They also do light lunches, beer and wine and they even have a cute little garden terrace. If you have a bike and need to get a quick repair, they do almost everything for you, from flat tire repairs to full revisions. If you don’t already have a bike and are looking to buy a gravel bike in Bordeaux then you should stop in and check out their stylish Genesis bikes that they display on the walls.

musette coffee shop bordeaux.
photo by: Christopher GJ Cooley

You’ll find Musette bicycle & coffee at 72 Cours de la Somme 33800 Bordeaux. 200 meters from the Victoire with the nearest tram-stop being Saint-Nicolas on the B line.

More information can be found on their website.

Bike Tours and Wine

If you are new in town and looking to discover the city one of the best ways to do it is by bike. Rustic Vines is an English speaking guided bike tour operator. Their Bordeaux by bike tour combines some of the best sights in Bordeaux brought to life with the stories behind them and of course a little drop of wine. If you would like to take it one-step further they also operate electric bike tours in Saint-Emilion, where they take you through the vineyards to explore different wine châteaux and provide a picnic lunch.

rustic vines birdeaux
photo by rustic vines

They can be found in person at 26 Rue de la Devise 33000 Bordeaux in the historic center or you can book directly on their website. 

Cycle Paths

If you have your own bicycle and want to enjoy a day in the open air, there are a few great options heading out of town. First, there is a dedicated cycle path that runs all the way to the beach at Lacanau. The path is all flat and mostly straight running through the pine forests. It will take you about 60km to get to the lake and Lacanau town and then another 10km to get to the actual beach but it makes for a great little adventure. To make a round trip there and back in one day requires a fairly high level of fitness, so it’s recommended to go back by bus ( if there’s a space for your bike in the boot of the bus of course).

 

Another bike path that is definitely worth riding is the Roger Lapebie Voie Verte. It runs from Bordeaux all the way to Sauveterre-de-Guyenne but a recommended day trip would be to the little Medieval village of Creon and back. You’ll see vineyards, forests and little lakes all the while being almost completely out of the way of motor traffic.

bike path Roger Lapebie Voie Verte
photo by: Christopher GJ Cooley

So now you can hop on your ‘bicyclette’ and ride, fix and drink in the biking scene in Bordeaux!

The author, Christopher GJ Cooley, is one of the owners of Mussette bycicle café in Bordeaux.

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In Around Bordeaux

Portes ouvertes in the chateaux of Médoc

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Chateaux Livran

If you are living in France or just passing by and you wish to discover one of its most important regions, now is an excellent time to be heading to Médoc, one of the most famous wine growing regions in the world, located in the Gironde department, north of Bordeaux.  To celebrate the beginning of the spring the Maison du Tourisme et du Vin de Pauillac will hold an open doors weekend on April 7-8, where you will be able to visit all the chateaux of the Médoc region and do a lot of wine tasting.

Le Week-end Portes Ouvertes (open doors weekend) in Médoc is an annual event that officially starts the tourist season in the wine region of South west France. The first time that vineyards have collectively decided to open their doors to the public was in 1991 and it was an immediate success. Starting its third edition, the  Week-end Portes Ouvertes has seen tens of thousands of visitors and the tradition of the open house was copied to other chateaux in France. This tradition has grown so much that it became a challenge to pickthe best chateaux to visit during that weekend.

Sixty three châteaux (Château Clarke will eventually not be participating in the open house weekend) from eight different AOC (appellation d’origine contrôlée) will participate in the Portes Ouvertes weekend:  MEDOC, HAUT MEDOC NORD, PAUILLAC, SAINT ESTEPHE,  SAINT JULIEN, LISTRAC, MOULIS, MARGAUX. The AOC is the French certification for geographical indications for agricultural products such as wine and cheeses. To see what châteaux are participating in the event, see the full list and the map below.

Although visiting the cellars and wine tastings are still at the heart of the event, today the various chateaux try to attract visitors with additional attractions such as the restaurant of the chateau, music, games, art expos and activities for kids. If you don’t have a specific chateaux in mind you can choose one according to the proposed activities . What follows is a listing of chateaux according to their proposed activities:

Fine dining

Wines are not the only product the Médoc region does well, it is also famous for some of its gastronomic specialties, such as: l’agneau de Pauillac (Pauillac lamb), l’entrecôte cuite aux sarments (entrecote cooked with vine shoots), les chocolats de Mademoiselle de Margaux and more. In addition to in house restaurants, some of the chateaux offer gourmet markets, food trucks and bars. So, besides tasting great wine you are guaranteed to have a great culinary experience.

See the plan of the participating Châteaux : Saint-Hilaire – Saint-Christoly – Chantelys – Castera – Tour des Termes –Tronquoy Lalande – St-Estèphe – Le Crock – La Rose Pauillac – Julia – Hourtin Ducasse – Cassana – La Tour Carnet – Lanessan – Lauga –Lamothe Bergeron – Malescasse – Reverdi – Baudan – Vignerons associés Grand Listrac – Fonréaud – Chasse Spleen – Meyre – Bellevue de Tayac  – Haut-Breton Larigaudière – Ferrière – Lascombes – Marquis de Terme –  Prieuré Lichine – Desmirail – Dauzac – Larrieu-Terrefort – Belle-Vue – Clos la Bohème –  Maucamps – Paloumey – Agassac – Ségur – Saint Ahon – Taillan

chateaux desmiral

Art in the Chateaux

Some of the châteaux will host exhibitions of paintings, sculptures and photography of both local and international artists.

in Châteaux Saint Hilaire, for example, two Medoc artists will present their aquarelle paintings  and photographs. Châteaux Lanessan will give visitors the opportunity to see the family’s carriage collection, dated to the 19th century. And in Châteaux Castera, one of the most ancient chateaux of the region, you could see the permanent sculpture exposition “Les bouteilles de vincent libecq”. Follow the list of the participating chateaux to see the kind of art  on display.

castera chateaux
photo by: castera chateaux

See the plan of the participating Châteaux : Saint-Hilaire – La Tour de By – Saint-Christoly – Chantelys – Castera – Tour des Termes – Tour Sieujean – Lanessan – Moulin Rouge – Granins Grand Poujeaux – Chasse Spleen – Bellevue de Tayac – Clos La Bohème – Cantemerle – Paloumey – Ségur – Saint Ahon – Magnol

Visiting with kids

Many people take the chance to  make the chateaux visit a family trip, and rightly so as kids can appreciate the charming chateaux and their gardens.  Nonetheless, having to look after your little kids while wine tasting can definitely undermine the experience. That is why some of the chateaux propose activities to entertain your kids while you are tasting wine.

For example: Château Lamothe Bergeron will hold creative workshops as well as grape juice tasting for kids,  Château Hourtin-Ducasse will entertain your kids with activities like coloring, ping pong and comics; and Château Ségur  will hold an egg hunt and a mask coloring workshop.

See the plan of the participating Châteaux : Saint-Hilaire – Saint-Christoly – Livran – Lilian-Ladouys – Julia– Hourtin-Ducasse – Lanessan – Lamothe Bergeron – Fonréaud – Haut-Breton Larigaudière – Marquis de Terme – Prieuré Lichine – Clos La Bohème – Paloumey – Agassac – Ségur – Saint Ahon – du Taillan – Magnol

 

Getting to know the wine world

The world of wine is a huge body  of knowledge and many of the châteaux would like to see you experience more than just wine tasting. Some of them organize workshops and activities revolving around the production of wine. Those can come in the form of a demonstration of the different tractors they use (Château Maucamps), discovering your sensors in blind wine tasting (Château Ségur), a vines workshop (Château Chantelys) and more.

See the plan of the participating Châteaux : Chantelys – Lilian-Ladouys – Hourtin-Ducasse – Lamothe Bergeron – Haut-Breton Larigaudière – Prieuré Lichine – La Tour de Bessan – Dauzac – Maucamps – Paloumey – Ségur – Saint Ahon

A Map of all the Châteaux participation in the Portes ouvertes weekend:

 

Most of the Chateaux require prior reservation to the wine tasting and cellar tours, so if you found a chateaux you would like to discover this weekend, hurry up and make a reservation by email or phone. All the details, including the address, the activities proposed, the hours and the contact details appear in the link of the participating chateaux above. For more info, go to the site of the event.

Enjoy your glass of wine and the official beginning of Spring in the region!

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