The Epiphany Concert
Each year, on the first Sunday of January, Alès offers a free classical music concert to the inhabitants of the Grand Alès basin at the Théâtre du Cratère.
Reservations at the Tourist Center of Alès, on the last two weeks of December. Caution: the number of seats is limited and there are only two performances (3h30 pm and 8h30 pm ).
on the 1st of January

Artist'in lycée
Organized in three lycées of the Grand Alès basin (namely Jean Baptiste Dumasin in Alès, Jacques Prévert in Saint-Christol-lez-Alès and Bellevue in Alès) by the national theater of Alès, Le Cratère. This event is aimed at familiarizing students with the tempo of the everyday life of artists (artistic creations, interviews with artists and technicians, pratice, etc.)
This artistic and cultural educative program gives an acces to art and culture to the majority of the students in the region.
in January

La Semaine Cévenole
This new event created in 2010 by Alès is completely free and aimed at rediscovering important steps in the history of the Cevennes every year. For the first Cevennes week, in 2010, the theme was the 17th century, with the Paix d'Alais.
Program: conferences, exhibitions, historical shows (at Fort Vauban), traditional dress parade (in the city center), artisanal market, etc.
1st week of March

Heritage Day
Two days to visit (for free most of the time) natural or historical sites in the Alès basin.
in Septembre

Miss Alès-Cévennes pageant
A competition reserved for the Grand-Alès 18 year old girls of at least 55ft height. This event is supervised by the Miss France Committee and enables the winner to participate in the regional competitions and in the Miss France pageant. Miss Alès-Cévennes is elected during a gala night gathering 800 spectators and attented by Miss France.
Program: numerous shows (orchestra, songs, dance, parades), animated by a professional organizer.
February

The Music Festival
Each year, the first day of summer is celebrated with music and musical activities in the city center. Students from the school of music of the Grand-Alès basin, musicians from the Alès orchestra, and numerous regional bands enliven the town.
on the 21st of June

Nuit du Bac
A DJ party by night organized by the City Hall in the Arène de Tempéras for the students to celebrate the end of their exams.
end o f June

Les Musicales
This new musical festival was created by Alès in 2009. It proposes 3 successive nights during which three very different styles of music are presented: Popular Music, Jazz Music, and Classical Music.
This event takes place on the first two weeks of July, and for a very affordable price.
first two weeks of July

14th of July
A Great festival is organized by Alès on the 14th of July for Bastille Day ( the French national holiday). It took place for the first time in summer 2009 and proposes a full program:

• Afternoon jousts on the Gardon.
• Two great processions of floral floats called " corsos fleuris", with peñas, musicians, etc. This event is also attented by Miss Alès and her first and second runner-ups. (late afternoon and evening)
• Fireworks at 11pm on the Gardon.
• Open-air dance halls and cafés by the Gardon to enjoy the fireworks.
• Balls in the city center.

Summernights
DJ parties for people aged 12 to 18, organized by the Forum Jeunes on the place de l'Hôtel de ville.
Program: techno music, spotlights and subwoofers. More than 3 000 teens on the spot each year.
on July and August

Fêtes des Associations
Sport associations and other associations present their activities during a day by the Gardon (avenue Jules Guesde for sports, and avenue Carnot for cultural, artistic or relief associations, etc.)
Free activities and demonstration
September

Around Christmas Day
Three weeks of festivities organized around Christmas. Play activities organized on the place de l'Hôtel de ville, a Christmas market, parades, commercial activities, etc. and a fun fair on the fairground.
Each year, an original activity takes place on the place de l'Hôtel de ville: in 2009, it was an artificial river which was installed for people to come and fish trout.
December

Alespo
Trade shows around the themes of home, gardening and leisure organized on the parc des expositions of Méjannes lez Alès. It is the second largest trade show in Languedoc-Roussillon with a surface of exhibition of more thant 16 000m², 350 exhibitors, and more than 30 000 visitors.
Last weekend of January
more

Fairs
Three other traditional fairs take place in the city center of Alès on the 17th of January, the 27th of April, and the 24th of August.
more

Miam
Regional gastronomical shows organized by the Chamber of Commerce of Alès. Exhibitions, tastings, cooking shops, recipes, 95 exhibitors, local products of quality...
November

Rugby: tournoi des Cévennes
Alès Rugby Club organizes an annual regional junior tournament. More than 800 rugby players aged 7 to 15, and trained at the staduims of Silhol, Clavières and Clauvel.
http://alesrugby.com/
April

FIRA, Festival de la Randonnée en Cévennes
This eventtakes palce twice in the year, in spring and in autum. It proposes more than 80 thematic and discovery hikes on the Cevennes dirt tracks.
Beginners or experimented hikers, there is a hike for every type of hiker in the Cevennes. And you are sure to go back home with memories that will stay in your mind forever.
La Fira, 4av de la Résistance
30270 Saint Jean du Gard
phone: 04 66 85 17 94
more
May and October ( week-ends of the Ascension and of the All Saints' Day)

Fête du Sport
In September, there is a day on which every sport associations in Alès is given all premises to present activities, and free initiations on the avenue Jules Guesde and on the banks of Gardon.
September

Foulées du Grand Alès
This is a qualifying event in the French championship of running, the "course des As" is a 6miles running, annually attended by a great number of athletes (589 for the 22th edetion in 2009). In addition to the main running, other events are organized for juniors.
http://www.ales-aca.fr/
November

Le Grand Challenge
Le Grand Challenge is the main event of the Pôle Mécanique of Alès. Created in 2008, it lasts two days and confronts more than a hundred pilots on a route alterning speed racing circuits and rally roads. Every type of car is allowed on this challenge, and most often, they are driven by recognized pilots. In the last competitions, pilots like Romain Dumas or Stéphane Sarrazin participated in the challenge. It is a very successful event since 5 000 spectators on average came to the Pôle Mécanique in 2009.
http://www.pole-mecanique.fr/
December.