The Marché Normand in Gavray

Saturday 7th July 2018 saw the return of the Marché Normand in Gavray. It’s an annual event and the main street in the town is closed to traffic for the whole day for some family fun. It started at 10am with dancing from a local dance group who wear traditional Normandy costumes. At 11am the parade of tractors (this is Normandy!) and classic cars took place. Many of the people in the parade also wore traditional Normandy costumes. 

Lunch was from 12 – 2 and there was a range of take-away items ranging from sausage baguettes, french fries, galettes (savoury pancakes) as well as pastries, sandwiches and cakes from the boulangeries. The bars and restaurants were also open for refreshments.

There was the opportunity for the public to dance at 2pm and then a country dance demonstration followed at 3pm. Horse and cart rides were available throughout the day and you could watch artisans demonstrating their trade or craft. There were also butter-making demonstrations using Normandy milk which gives a very creamy taste to the product. Market stalls included cider, wine, honey, and spicy sausages.

The Marché Normand in Gavray ended with a fireworks display and an open air dance. For more information about Gavray, you can visit the town’s website.