FESTIVALS

Les fetes: a summer school in the Basque Country would not be complete without at least one vist to a local festival. Every Basque town has its traditional annual festival and the list is endless.

Most of the Basque festivals are scheduled around the feast day of the patron saint of each town. The Basque festivals feature traditional music, typical local food, folk dancing performances, live bands, public dances, Basque sporting events, fireworks and a myriad of other traditions, July festivals include:

The Festival of Tuna (Saturday) - yet another celebration of the bounty coming from the sea near St.-Jean-de-Luz. The streets fill with Basque music and dancing – and best of all, lots of stalls selling sizzling hot tuna steaks. Yum. St. Jean parties are known for their toros de fuego running through the streets.

Bastille Day – while there are celebrations all over France commemorating the national holiday on July 14. the seaside resorts of Biarritz and St.-Jean-de-Luz feature fireworks over the ocean and lots of dancing and celebrations.scenes of the life and history of Gipuzkoa.

Fetes de Bayonne – It always starts at 10 p.m. the fourth Wednesday of July in front of the Place de la Mairie, where celebrities throw out three keys to the city. The five-day is one of the biggest I France — and includes bull racing, , tamborrada (drumming parade), live bands and all night street dances