Markets and fairs 

Shopping at the weekly farmers' market in the local town is always a highlight of any visit to France, and especially so in Ariège. Much of the produce is organically grown and the market is the best place to find locally produced cheeses, sausages, honey and preserves as well as specialty breads not usually available in bakeries. The market is most enjoyable in spring and autumn when the tourists are less in evidence and its true character as a social gathering becomes apparent. (See schedule of markets & fairs, see also Ariège cuisine)

In addition to the weekly markets, most large towns have a "foire", or fair, twice a month. It was traditionally a livestock market, with vendors selling clothes, household goods, tools and farm implements around the perimeter. Now that cows and sheep are transported by truck from the farms directly to the slaughterhouse the livestock market is less important, but the dry goods vendors remain.

In the past, whole families spent the summers up in the high pastures with their cows and sheep. Most villages then held autumn fairs in October to celebrate "la descente" when everyone had come down from the mountains. The tradition continues in some places, though the fairs are less agricultural in character than before. Unlike many of the fairs held in the summer, which are planned with tourists in mind, the autumn fairs feel more like a community event, with a raffle for the village school and a communal midday meal outside.

In the summer there are many large theme festivals, such as the Medieval Fair in Foix, the Classical Music Festival in St. Lizier, or Rites in St. Girons featuring folk dance groups from many countries. See the Festivals page for a list of major events for the current year.