Vitiloire
May
The Loire Valley is renowned for its wines, and this annual get-together sees producers from across the region converge on Tours for a series of tastings, workshops, promotions and other wine-related revelry. It takes place over two days.
Les Années Joué
May-June
A weekend-long hullabaloo centred on theatre, circus, magic, street art, dancing and all manner of other eccentric goings-on, Les Années Joué draws audiences to the suburb of Joué-lès-Tours, located to the south of the city proper.
American Tours Festival
July
A celebration of all things transatlantic, from rodeos and speedway to rock’n’roll, country and western, this annual festival draws some 40,000 visitors to the Parc des Expositions de Tours over the course of three days.
Foire à l’Ail et au Basilic
26 July
A one-day event taking place each year on Saint Anne’s Day (26 July), the fair draws garlic and basil producers to the Old Town in a tradition thought to date back to the Middle Ages. It’s a photogenic occasion.
Paris-Tours Cycle Race
October
First held in 1896, the Paris-Tours cycle race sees riders pedal 250km over the course of a single day, culminating in a sprint finish in Tours. It’s considered one of cycling’s great one-day races.