The Lemon Festival in Menton, as usual, takes place in two parts. Unlike in Nice, where the Carnival festivities are limited to parades and flower battles, Menton has an advantage over the capital of the Côte d’Azur: the festival is continuous and runs until March 5th.
Indeed, the Biovès Gardens are the setting for a permanent show decorated with citrus colors and sunlight. Eleven motifs made of lemons and oranges are: “Ink and Quill” by Jules Verne.
It all begins with those mysterious disappearances of ships on the oceans. The year is 1866, and some speak of a sea monster, but let Jules Verne tell us his story. We find ourselves aboard Captain Farragut’s frigate. The Nautilus, the diver, the underwater cave, fabulous animals, exoticism, Captain Nemo’s organ. The adventure starts and you will discover Atlantis, the giant squid, the whale. At night, the magic of light and a starry sky accentuate this mysterious effect where Nemo takes you into the sea’s abysses. An exhilarating world and universe.
The second part of this enchanting spectacle is the day and night parades animated by about ten floats depicting this deep-sea captain. On Sunday, March 2nd, a fireworks display will illuminate the Menton sky from the Promenade du Soleil.
There are five parades, including two night ones, and five evenings animating the Biovès Gardens “Gardens of Lights” which will set the rhythm for the festival, with Menton living off oranges and lemons for around twenty days.
During this period, the Palais de l’Europe organizes the crafts fair and the 31st Orchid Festival. The public will be able to discover the artistic as well as culinary skills of the Menton artisans. For example, one can taste orange wine and, more surprisingly, olive oil with Menton lemon.
A nightclub evening with the theme of the vinyl years, a folk show, and street performances will complete the celebration. The theme of this edition will delight young and old alike, with children having their imagination sparked by the gardens and parades, and adults, nostalgic with their childhood memories of lemons.
Without wanting to parody a TV show, one could say: “In Menton during the lemon festival, you’re not going to bed early!”
Thierry Jan
