If you have clients headed to the Cote D’Azur this month, and if they love lemons (or other citrus fruits), suggest they head to the French seaside city of Menton, which is celebrating its 79th annual Fête du Citron from February 17 to March 7.
Menton, nicknamed "the city of lemons," is best known for this festival. Attracting over 250,000 people each year, the 2012 theme of the Lemon Festival will be Welcoming the French Regions. To celebrate the regions of France, citrus-sculptures will depict different aspects of the country, such as an Eiffel Tower for Paris. Parade floats will depict the regions as well, illustrating Burgundy as an escargot, and boasting creole cuisine and culture from the overseas regions of France. Past years have transformed characters like Walt Disney, Asterix, Tintin, and Alice in Wonderland into lemon structures.
The program will include the following events:
· Golden Citrus Parade (Sunday afternoons on February 19, 26 and March 4): Floats adorned in golden fruits will be paraded down the streets, showering the public in confetti and performing live marching band music.
· Moonlit Parade (Thursday nights on February 23 and March 1): Just as the sun goes down, the celebration reawakens with an explosion of drumbeats, fireworks, dancing, and extravagant parade floats along the coast on the Promenade du Soleil.
· Citrus Exhibition (Open daily): The Biovès Gardens will exhibit their traditional display of giant sculptures constructed out of nearly 15 tons of yellow and orange citrus fruits, and on select evenings, the gardens will transform into a light display, illuminating the sculptures with music and light.
For more information, visit www.fete-du-citron.com.