Vinon-sur-Verdon Transhumance FestivalFête de la Transhumance de Vinon-sur-Verdon

The Vinon-sur-Verdon Transhumance Festival (Fête de la Transhumance) is an annual cultural event celebrating the historic migration of sheep to mountain pastures. It honors traditional pastoral crafts and local producers through a large open-air market and activities in a scenic riverside setting 1 2. Typically in early June, the festival day features some 1,000 sheep herded through the village (accompanied by vintage tractors and Provencal music), demonstrations of shepherding arts (dog herding, wool shearing), and folkloric performances 3 4. Dozens of market stalls sell artisanal foods and crafts, and the organizers provide free refreshments and music throughout the day. The event is organized by Vinon-sur-Verdon’s town council and festival committee as a revival of this local pastoral tradition 2 3.

Transhumance – the seasonal livestock migration – is a centuries-old tradition in Provence. Vinon-sur-Verdon historically lay on a transhumance route: its village square (with centenary plane trees and a fountain) served as a rest stop for flocks moving from the Crau plains up to alpine pastures 1 2. The festival reenacts this heritage, highlighting traditional skills (sheep shearing, herding) and products (local cheeses, wool crafts) that define the region’s pastoral culture.