At the beginning of May : ‘Troc et Puces’ [Flee Market/Jumble Sale/Car Boot Sale] - ‘Vente de mécanique ancienne’ [Sale of old fashioned mechanical machinery] - Rostrenen

‘Grande Braderie’ [Grand Sale] in the streets of Rostrenen, auction of vehicles, old fashioned equipment at the Rostrenen ‘Foirail ‘

Mid May: The ‘Fete des Plantes’ [Plant Fete] - Mael-Carhaix

Exhibitors’ stands, sales, finds, meetings, exchanges, advice, based on rare plants and collectables, activities, workshops ... in a verdant setting at the heart of Brittany. Contact: Association Liorzou Kervezennec 02 96 24 73 00

Ascension Week-end: ‘Rencontre Internationale de la Clarinette Populaire’ [International Meeting for the Popular Clarinet]

Meeting of musicians from far and wide around the clarinet and local tradition; concerts, cabarets, ball, meal, musical aperitifs, musical rambles, ‘Fest Noz’ [Night-time festival of Breton music and dancing], cinema, exhibitions, competitions, children’s events ... organised by the Association Paotred an Dreujenn Gaol. Website: www.clarinette-populaire.org

Pentecost Week-end: ‘Courses Hippiques’ [Horse races/Steeplechasing] - Rostrenen

The pressure is on ... the horses are under starter’s orders ... in a few seconds they’ll be away... time stops, the faces are tense, the fingers crossed ... and they’re off! In a burst of excitement, the shouts of encouragement fuse from all corners, and soon a state of general euphoria descends on the ‘hippodrome’ [racing-ground]!

The ‘Société Hippique’ organises the races on Pentecost Week-end, at the Quenropers hippodrome at Rostrenen, which is the 27th in order of importance among the 250 hippodromes in France. Access from the N164 in the direction of Quenropers, the hippodrome is 1km away on the Lanhellen road.

End May: ‘Canal Sud’ - Glomel

This event offers the whole family a full day on or beside the water. Not only will you be able to discover the charm of Central Brittany along the Nantes to Brest Canal, there are water toboggans equipping the canal on this day, you will cross adjacent rivers, and a magnificent lake. This is an invitation to take part in a varied circuit, as challenging as you choose to let it be; a water circuit which is the only one of its kind in France. There are four categories of difficulty: family [‘familial’], everybody [‘grand public’], more challenging [‘un raid’], and a marathon [‘un marathon’].

Refreshments will be offered to each participant. Single and double seater kayaks are available free of charge. The circuits are shadowed by a green pathway, which means that people on foot or on a cycle can accompany those afloat. Contact: ‘Centre Nautique de Plein Air du Kreiz Breizh’ [The Kreiz Breizh Water Sports Centre] : Tel 02 96 29 65 01 Website : www.cnakb.org

Mid June: ‘Rand’eau vive’ [Rapid water coursing] - Glomel

Are you tempted by a great adventure, or perhaps already a member of the great family of ‘raiders’? We offer you a challenge on the scale of the great outdoors in the heart of Brittany. Adventure and conviviality are the key elements of this event. All through the week-end, a programme of activities and different sports surrounded by magnificent landscape is enough to make young and old alike vibrate. Contact: La Rand’eau vive Website: www.randeauvive.org

End June: ‘Concours de sonneurs et chanteurs’[Competition for Pipers and singers] - Plévin

Competition for musicians, Mass in Breton at the Chapel of Saint Anne, dance competition

Early August: ‘Le Pays de Conomor’ [The Land of Conomor] - Bon Repos

With 400 actors and figures of Central Brittany performing, the Abbey of Bon Repos becomes a theatre to retrace the history of this part of the world. To tell the grand and the little stories of this land, we have woven our thread around several key places.

The ‘allées couvertes’ [covered alleys] of Liscuis, the old Roman road to Rennes at Carhaix, Castel Finans (the castle of Conomor, built on the banks of the Blavet River), the Cistercian Abbey of Bon Repos and the Nantes to Brest Canal bear witness in the most representative and prestigious way. Contact: Racine d’Argoat; Tel 02 96 24 85 28 Website: www.pays-conomor.com

Early August: ‘Fete des mécaniques anciennes’ [Festival of old-fashioned machinery] - Plouguernével

Here you’ll find no harvesters [‘moissonneuses’ ] but a scything-binding machine [‘faucheuse-lieuse’]! Scythes, sickles and forks in wood are wielded with dexterity by those who are nostalgic for the good olden days, when the work was laborious but one knew how to see the funny side of life and laugh often and easily. The day starts with a procession of old-fashioned machines (tractors, motor bikes, bicycles ...) through the streets of the commune. At the same time you can see an old fashioned harvest taking place. A horse-drawn carriage is on hand to give rides to the children in the afternoon. Musical events take place on the site, followed by a meal with entertainment.

Mid-August: ‘Le Grand Pardon de Notre Dame’ - Rostrenen

The ‘Pardon’ (ancient religious festival) of Our Lady of Rostrenen, one of the most important in Central Brittany, mixes tradition and modernity together with the addition of the travelling fair. The programme consists of Concerts at the Collegiate Church, a walk along the canal, ‘veillée mariale’ (vigil for Our Lady) at Rostrenen, procession with flares up to Miniou (the highest point in Rostrenen) with banners and the Crucifix, ‘tantad’ (sacred fire), and entertainment in the centre of the town.

Mid-August: ‘Fete des Battages à l’ancienne’ [Old-fashioned harvest festival] - Mael-Carhaix

The old-fashioned harvest festival takes place on the banks of the Etang des Sources at Mael-Carhaix. This event focuses equally on the traditional Breton games. The programme for the day consists of the harvesting, of course, with the old-fashioned Braud harvesting machine, enthroned beside the lake, butter-making, Breton dancing, as well as a rodeo on a mechanical bull, rides in a horse-drawn carriage ... crepes and grills are provided throughout the afternoon. In the evening there is a meal followed by a free Fest Noz with local musicians and singers. Open to all.

End August: Festival Fisel - Rostrenen

Festival of Breton culture dedicated to the Fisel dance. Concerts, ‘festou-noz’ [nocturnal Breton dances], workshops, conferences, exhibitions, ‘lutte bretonne’[discipline of Breton combat], rambles, fisel dancing competitions, performances and dances. Contact: Cercle Celtique, www.fisel.org

1st Week-end of September: Caf’Contes - Trémargat

Come and escape for a week-end in the company of these poets in words and images. From stories in French or Breton via stories translated into sign language, the third ear will guide old and young alike towards the land of the imagination in the different cafés of Kreiz Breizh, in the heart of Brittany. Performances for children and grown-ups, this is a free festival, with voluntary financial contributions possible. Contact: ‘Association la 3ème Oreille’ [Association of the Third Ear] Tel: 02 96 36 51 81 www.cafcontes.org

1st Week-end of October: ‘La Journée dans la Nature’

Come and discover Central Brittany on a day out in the natural world: entertainments, trails on foot and by water ...

‘Festival des Basses-cours du Monde’ [World-wide Poultry Festival] - Trébrivan

Discover farm-yard animals from all directions, with a meal on Saturday evening accompanied musically. Not to be missed on Sunday afternoon, the traditional Cock-crowing championship. Open to all, children and adults.

‘Biennale d’Automne - Kizellan, un bourg à Sculpter ‘- Mellionnec [Autumn Biennale - Kizellan, a town to sculpt]

“By this new encounter with an art-form, the inhabitants of this little rural village of Central Brittany, too often considered to be at the back of beyond, wish to affirm their desire and to underline the dynamic of their choice to live here, in spite of the obvious geographic realities. The artists showing their work in this place reinforce this determination powerfully. On this sympathetic living stage, open to the sky, where these strange visitors, as such these monumental works appear, play a truly dramatic role in this fantastic open-air theatre ... The other part of the production is quite simply played by the inhabitants themselves as they go about their daily tasks, the sculptures in no way disturbing their everyday life. The artwork, thus installed, approaches the public outside all constraints of day or hour.”

[Translated from the words of J. Rault] Throughout the two months of autumn, these original sculptures are on view in private gardens.

End November: ‘Fest Noz des Femmes’ [Women’s Nocturnal Breton dance] - Lanrivain

Few posters, very little notices, and yet this ‘fest-noz’ is looked forward to eagerly every year on the last week-end of November at Lanrivain. Up to you to guess, why is it so-called? Contact: Association GAT Tel: 02 96 36 54 15

December: Christmas the magical with the Bonen Illuminations - Rostrenen

In a little commune in Central Brittany, on the edge of the Nantes to Brest Canal, the village of Bonen lights itself up every year. There are deer lit-up in the fields, holly in the tree, a fox on the bank ... a trail of 3km by car from 18h which will enchant children and grown-ups.