Nuit du Livre / Summer Festival of Fontenoy-la-Joûte

The Summer Festival and Book Night: Fontenoy-la-Joûte's summer event

Every year around August 15th, the Fontenoy-la-Joûte Book Village celebrates summer with its grand Summer Festival and Book Night. This event, celebrating its 20th edition in 2026, is a special time for book lovers, with the unique opportunity to hunt for treasures during the Saturday evening opening.

A book village celebrating

For this summer event, the Fontenoy-la-Joûte Book Village showcases all its assets. The eleven permanent bookstores in the village stay open late on Saturday evenings, creating a magical atmosphere in the illuminated alleys. Visitors can stroll among the book stalls by lamplight, a unique experience in Lorraine. About ten professional exhibitors from all over the region offer second-hand books of all genres, old postcards, and heritage documents.

Authors signing and cultural activities

The program includes signing sessions with regional authors, a cultural quiz on Saturday at 3 PM with gift vouchers to be won, and live performances. The 2025 edition notably featured a circus show on Saturday at 4 PM with the Taurel sisters. Fast food is available on-site, allowing visitors to fully enjoy the day and evening.

2026 Edition: retrospective of the 30 years of the Book Village

For the 20th edition of the Summer Festival, coinciding with the 30th anniversary of the Book Village, a retrospective exhibition traces three decades of the history of this unique cultural site in Lorraine. On Saturday, August 15th, and Sunday, August 16th, 2026, the village welcomes visitors and bibliophiles from 9 AM to 10 PM on Saturday and from 9 AM to 6 PM on Sunday. This is an opportunity to rediscover the adventure of this village which, in thirty years, has become one of the major centers of literary culture in Meurthe-et-Moselle and the entire Grand Est region.