HomeDestinationsInterestsTop Places to Travel by MonthSearchMenuBest time to go to France A unique celebration with a strong fishing theme one of northern France’s most famous and vibrant festivals draws tens of thousands of visitors annually to the coastal city of Dunkirk the carnival captures the spirit of the region’s fishing heritage with music This centuries-old event is a unique blend of local customs and modern festivities offering visitors a deep connection to Dunkirk’s maritime past and a chance to experience one of Europe’s most lively and unconventional carnivals The Dunkirk Carnival is renowned for its vivid celebrations and parades that fill the streets every weekend “La Bande de Dunkerque,” takes place on the Sunday before Mardi Gras (the final day of Carnival) Musicians dressed in yellow fishermen’s coats lead the parade creating a festive atmosphere that lasts for hours A unique feature of the carnival is the custom of tossing smoked herring into the crowd At the climax of the event on the Sunday before Mardi Gras the mayor and city officials throw nearly 1102.31 pounds (500 kg) of herring from the balcony of the Town Hall on Place Saint-Valentin where attendees eagerly await the chance to catch one This quirky tradition harks back to the days when fishermen were about to embark on long voyages and the herring toss symbolizes a blessing for prosperity and good fortune but the most eventful days take place in the final weeks leading up to Shrove Tuesday Starting with the Bath of the Frozen in Malo on January 1 the carnival unfolds with a series of “bandes” (parades) and balls nearly every weekend Highlights include the Beerne Band on February 8 and the Black Cat Ball at the Kursaal the following night alongside other local favorites such as the Armbrouts-Cappel Band on February 9 known as the "Three Joyful Days," begin on March 2 with the first parade featuring the Dunkirk Band and its traditional herring throw Festivities continue on March 3 with a parade along Citadel Strip near Port Museum and culminate on March 4 with the final parade and Rosendael's Band Shrove Tuesday’s events close the carnival with a joyful spirit including children’s events like the Children's Ball of the Knights on March 5 Saturday nights are dedicated to grand balls at the Kursaal where locals and visitors alike can dance to the music of regional bands The peak weekend also features additional celebrations like the Kiekeun Festival on March 7 in Coudekerque-Branche and themed balls such as the Sporting Ball and the Spring Ball later in March These celebrations not only mark the end of winter but also usher in the coming of spring with exuberant parades making it an accessible experience for all visitors some of the grand balls may have ticketed entry and advance booking is recommended due to high demand Parking around Dunkirk can be limited during peak carnival days so visitors are advised to use public transport where possible Special arrangements are often made to increase accessibility with additional transport services and signage to help visitors navigate the festival areas making it a popular destination for visitors from across Europe The carnival is spread throughout the city with many events centered around Place Saint-Valentin and the Town Hall visitors can explore the Dunkirk Maritime Museum which provides insights into the city’s seafaring history which are just a short distance from the city center the historic Fort des Dunes and the picturesque Flemish villages make for excellent day trips The origins of Dunkirk Carnival date back to the early 17th century when local fishermen would gather for a grand feast before setting off on long fishing expeditions to Iceland and Newfoundland The carnival became a way to celebrate and support the fishermen’s journey offering them a memorable send-off filled with music and festivities this celebration evolved into a community-wide event integrating local traditions and welcoming visitors from beyond Dunkirk an association known as “Les Amis du Reuze de Dunkerque” has reintroduced “giants,” large wicker mannequins symbolizing folk heritage adding yet another layer to this unique festival’s traditions Carnival season in France is a vibrant time filled with festive parades and traditional foods that usher in Mardi Gras celebrations the season brings lively events across cities like Nice The Nice Carnival features illuminated floats and the famed Flower Parade while Annecy’s Venetian Carnival sees masked participants wandering the streets Mulhouse boasts grand parades and satirical events and Dunkirk is famous for its herring toss and costumed revelry Each city offers a unique take on this cherished tradition Retail Chaussea notified the Autorité de la concurrence of its plan to take over 71 stores formerly operated under the Chauss’expo banner Chaussea operates stores offering affordable footwear for men The 71 Chauss’expo stores taken over as part of the transaction are also active in the same sector The transaction is part of court-ordered liquidation proceedings (liquidation judiciaire) at the end of which the Lille Métropole Commercial Court decided to assign the aforementioned assets to Chaussea two key players in the affordable town footwear retail market where large specialist retailers (such as Besson Gémo and La Halle) operate alongside major food retailers the Autorité examined whether the planned takeover by Chaussea was likely to restrict competition in areas with stores operated by both banners the Autorité identified competition risks in the catchment areas surrounding the Chauss’expo in Audun-le-Tiche (57) Dunkirk – Petite Synthe and Quaëdypre (59) the transaction was likely to affect competition and there was a risk of price rises or a reduced offering to the detriment of consumers given the significant combined market share of the parties and the lack of sufficient alternatives Chaussea has undertaken to divest stores in each of the areas concerned to one or more competitors * “OR” indicates that Chaussea may divest either of the stores indicated for each of the areas concerned Where an offer is received for both of the stores The commitments will ensure that sufficient competition is maintained and that consumer interests are protected in the local retail markets for affordable town footwear The proposed buyers will need to be approved by the Autorité which will ensure their ability to provide a credible affordable footwear retailing alternative in each of the areas concerned The commitments are intended to safeguard adequate local competition The aim is to allow a competitor to take over the stores and their activities in order to safeguard competition in the area concerned thereby ensuring that consumers have a diversified offering in terms of prices and products The party cleared to carry out the transaction must present to the Autorité buyers capable of ensuring a valid takeover and then providing effective competition which will clear the effective divestiture of the store in question The divestitures do not therefore entail the closure of the stores While the effective conclusion of a merger is subject to clearance by the Autorité de la concurrence the Autorité may grant a derogation enabling the parties to finalise part or all of the transaction without waiting for the clearance decision in order to allow for the continuation of the business activities The granting of such a derogation is exceptional A derogation may be granted in cases where takeover offers are presented for companies subject to court-ordered liquidation (liquidation judiciaire) or receivership (redressement judiciaire) the granting of a derogation by the Autorité is without prejudice to the final decision taken at the end of the investigation Plumes of smoke were sighted near the plant's HF2 blast furnace at 9pm on Monday leading to concerns that the blast furnace itself had caught fire and Malo-les-Bains were dispatched to the steel plant The six fire brigades arrived as reinforcements to the firefighters already on site making up a total of 46 firefighters battling the flames the fire was not in the blast furnace but instead broke out on scaffolding tarpaulins ArcelorMittal's management confirmed in a statement that the fire had broken out on the scaffolding surrounding the regenerative heat exchange which is in the process of being dismantled The fire did not spread to the blast furnace which restarted at around 2am on Tuesday morning