Carriages, confetti and fireworks: this historic festival returns to Montesson (78) today.

Floats, confetti, a funfair and fireworks: the Fête du Pâté à la Carmen returns to Montesson on 19 and 20 September 2026. A popular Yvelines event that preserves a local tradition dating back more than a century and a half.

Les fêtes de village ont encore de beaux jours devant elles ! À Montesson, dans les Yvelines (78), la Fête du Pâté à la Carmen revient les 19 et 20 septembre 2026 pour faire vivre une tradition locale vieille de plus de 150 ans. Cette année, chars, groupes musicaux et festivités se retrouvent autour du thème "Amitiés sans frontière".

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But wait, where does the mysterious "pâté à la Carmen" come from? The exact origin of the name is the subject of several versions. One tale has an Alsatian chef named Kermann, who took refuge in Montesson after the 1870 war, giving his name to a preparation that gradually became “Carmen.” Another story points to the Bavarian wife of a local butcher, whose accent is said to have turned the expression "pâté à la carne" into "pâté à la Carmen." The mystery remains, but the festival, it has endured through generations.

On the menu? Carriage parades, a shower of confetti, a fair, dancing into the night, and even a fireworks display to light up Montesson.

Programme de la Fête du Pâté à la Carmen 2026 à Montesson :

Saturday, September 19

5:30 PM: Inauguration of the fair – Parc des Sophoras
9:00 PM: Rustic supper by Montesson Chatou Rugby Club (RCMC) - Parc des Sports (no reservations) (Free shuttles from Pablo Picasso middle school to Parc des Sports from 8 PM to 1 AM)
10:30 PM: Grand fireworks display by JLR Artifice – Parc des Sports
11:00 PM: Evening dance party – Parc des Sports

Sunday, September 20 :

3:00 PM: Parade departs
Route: Place Traian Vuia, Rue Charles Constantin, boulevard de la République, Place de l’Église, Rue du Général Leclerc, Rue Pierre-Louis Guyard, Rue Félicien Lesage, Rue Jean-Claude Bézanier, Rue Henri Richaume, Rue du 19 Mars 1962, Rue du Général Leclerc, Place Roland Gauthier.

5:00 PM: Music groups kick off the afternoon – Town Hall Square

The Town Council notes that further details remain to be announced.

Just a stone’s throw from Paris and La Défense, Montesson revives a true village fête, with horse-drawn carriages and confetti. A friendly, down-to-earth interlude that smells of local traditions.