Fest'Alénya Car Boot Sale

An associative car boot sale at the heart of Alénya's heritage

The Fest'Alénya Car Boot Sale is organized every spring by the cultural association Fest'Alénya, a village structure that brings cultural and associative life to the commune with a varied programme: concerts, shows, workshops, festive events and popular gatherings. The late March date traditionally marks the start of the car boot sale season in Roussillon, taking advantage of the first fine days and Mediterranean mildness to bring exhibitors and visitors together for a local bargain hunt. The event runs from 8 am to 5 pm, with a 4-metre pitch priced at €10, an affordable rate that allows many individuals to sell clothes, toys, crockery, books, trinkets and small furniture they no longer need.

The Caves Ecoiffier, heritage setting for the car boot sale

The car boot sale takes place at the Caves Ecoiffier, a former wine cooperative built between 1896 and 1905, a jewel of Alénya's industrial and wine-growing heritage. Originally owned by the Violet family — creators of the famous Byrrh aperitif in Thuir — and then the Écoiffier family, whose name it took in 1907, this vast building once employed up to 130 people during harvest periods and could store nearly 30,000 hectolitres of wine. After agricultural activity ended in 1976, the municipality bought the complex in 1980 to turn it into a major cultural and associative hub, today housing a concert hall, a library, a music school, a recording studio, an exhibition space and rooms dedicated to associations. Holding a car boot sale in this history-rich venue offers exhibitors and bargain hunters an exceptional setting, both heritage-focused and welcoming.

On-site catering and village spirit

Throughout the day, Fest'Alénya volunteers run the refreshment bar and food service on site, allowing visitors to extend their visit in a friendly, village atmosphere. The profits from the event, including pitch fees and bar takings, are entirely reinvested in the funding of the association's cultural projects: show programming, support for artists, activities for residents. Bargain hunting at the Fest'Alénya car boot sale therefore means making good deals while supporting the cultural life of a dynamic small Catalan village.

Alénya, a village in the Roussillon plain

Alénya is a commune of about 3,500 inhabitants located in the Roussillon plain, halfway between Perpignan and Saint-Cyprien, just a few kilometres from the beaches of the Catalan coast. Nestled in a fertile plain devoted to viticulture and market gardening, the village retains a strong Catalan character with its old centre, its Taulera park and its living traditions. Its particularly active associative fabric, notably with Fest'Alénya, makes it a renowned place for cultural and popular events throughout the year, attracting residents from across the plain and the Perpignan metropolitan area.