The 2025 ThoiryChristmas Market will once again be held in this village in the Yvelines department, renowned for its famous animal park. On Saturday, December 6, 2025, the Thoiry multipurpose hall will host around thirty stalls showcasing their handmade creations and local products. Organized jointly by the municipality and the Thoiry Animation association, this friendly event is a great opportunity to stroll around in the warmth while discovering some great gift ideas for the holidays.
Located in the Yvelines (78770), this rural village of 1,400 inhabitants is about 50 kilometers west of Paris and about 30 kilometers from Versailles. Built on a small hill on the edge of a forest, Thoiry has a bucolic charm that appeals to visitors in search of authenticity. The village is best known for its Wow Safari Thoiry animal park, the first African reserve in France that can be visited by car, which opened in 1968, as well as for its 16th-century Renaissance castle, which regularly hosts baroque music concerts.
Inside the multipurpose hall on Rue des Vignettes, exhibitors offer a wide range of creations throughout the day. You can discoverlocal crafts, gourmet products to fill your holiday tables, and original gift ideas. The advantage of this covered market is that you can stroll around sheltered from the winter cold, allowing you to take your time chatting with the artisans and producers.
With extended hours until 8 p.m., the market offers the opportunity to visit at the end of the day, once night has fallen. This is when the atmosphere becomes particularly warm and welcoming, with the village lights coming on at dusk. This festive event is part of a tradition in villages in the Paris region, which showcase local expertise every year before the holidays. Visitors can do their Christmas shopping while supporting local creators and producers.
For families who want to extend their day, a great idea is to follow up your visit to the Christmas market with the Thoiry Lumières Sauvages trail. This illuminated nighttime walk in the heart of the animal park offers a magical experience where visitors stroll among giant lanterns and light installations representing wild animals. The trail is generally open from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. during the winter, allowing visitors to arrive at the Christmas market in the late afternoon, enjoy the warm atmosphere of the stalls, and then end the evening with this enchanting stroll through the safari world. It's an original way to spend a whole day dedicated to the magic of Christmas in the Yvelines.
The market takes place at the multipurpose hall in Thoiry, at 13 rue des Vignettes. Accessible by car via the D11 road that runs through the village, Thoiry is located about 50 kilometers from the capital. For those who wish to combine this outing with other discoveries, the village is not far from Montfort-l'Amaury and close to the French Vexin Regional Nature Park.
If you're looking for a great way to start the Advent season in an authentic atmosphere, this small-scale Christmas market offers a pleasant alternative to the large Christmas markets in Paris. You can also take advantage of your visit to explore the rest of the village, including its Saint-Martin church, whose nave and choir date back to the 14th century. During the winter season, the municipality also installs lights in the village, which are turned on from December 6 and turned off every evening at 11 p.m.
The village also organizes other end-of-year activities, such as a digital treasure hunt to save the magic of Christmas, accessible via the Geogaming app. Families can extend their day by exploring Thoiry in a fun way, before or after the Christmas market. For nature lovers, a walk in the wooded surroundings is a great way to appreciate the unspoiled rural setting of this corner of the Yvelines, where agricultural and forest areas account for more than 75% of the municipal territory.
If you would like to explore other Christmas markets in the Yvelines, several villages in the region also offer festive events throughout the month of December. This is an opportunity to discover the heritage of the Yvelines while immersing yourself in the festive atmosphere.
In short, it's a wonderful getaway less than an hour from Paris to get into the holiday spirit and meet local artisans in a rural setting.
Key details: The 2025 Thoiry Christmas Market will take place on Saturday, December 6, 2025, from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the multipurpose hall, 13 rue des Vignettes, 78770 Thoiry. Admission is generally free. For more information, please contact the Thoiry Animation association on +33 (0)6 22 95 34 22 or visit the Thoiry town hall website.
Dates and Opening Time
On December 6, 2025
From 11:00 a.m. to 08:00 p.m.
Location
Thoiry multipurpose hall
13 Rue des Vignettes
78770 Thoiry
Prices
Free
Recommended age
For all