The 11th edition of the Festival de Loire will run from the Wednesday, September 20th to the Sunday, September 24th. Free of charge, the Festival de Loire hosts over 200 river boats, 700 bargemen, 500 artists and exhibitors on the quays of Orléans. With only a few days left before the opening, the quays are coming alive, the last boats are arriving, and the organizers are finalizing the last details to make this anniversary edition a festive and unforgettable event.
Since 2003, the Festival de Loire has brought together bargemen, merchants, craftsmen, Orléans residents and visitors to honor the Loire River and French and international inland navigation. To celebrate its 20th anniversary, the Festival de Loire will be featuring an international river for the first time: the St. Lawrence (Quebec), closely linked to the Basque navy. The public is invited to discover their shared history through a dedicated program of events: demonstration of Basque know-how by the Albaola association, display of whaleboats and canoes, exhibition on the main lighthouses of the St. Lawrence by the Société nationale pour le patrimoine des phares et balises, conference on winter canoeing on the St. Lawrence.
New features for this 2023 edition include: the educational pole has been strengthened, with biodiversity and environmental workshops coordinated by the Muséum d’Orléans (MOBE); the original artistic program features the comedian François Morel as headliner; the Basque giants from the Kilika company will wander through the streets; and last but not least, a surprise guest will not pass unnoticed in the waters of the Loire, in a contemplative show that invites the public to question its own relationship with the environment. If humans have been able to cross the oceans on frail boats to feed themselves, they must be capable of the same feats to preserve what is vital to us today.
Some 210 boats have confirmed́ their participation in the Festival de Loire 2023. Among them, more than 150 Loire boats: toues, chalands, sablières, fûtreaux and other traditional vessels will be moored at the old port of Orléans. River boats from other regions of France, as well as from Poland, Italy, the Netherlands,England and Croatia, will complete the 2023 fleet. More than 700 bargemen and women will entertain the quays of Orléans and the Loire throughout the festival, sharing their passion and history with as many visitors as possible.
(Dreamstime photo of Orléans quay)
