Colmar’s event calendar is one of the richest for a city its size anywhere in France. From Europe’s best-rated Christmas market to a 300,000-attendee wine fair, the city has a major event in every season. Plan your visit around these dates and you will get far more than just sightseeing.
Colmar Events and Festivals: Winter
Colmar Christmas Market (Marche de Noel)
Late November to December 29 annually. Colmar runs six themed Christmas markets spread across the old town with over 180 wooden chalets. The markets are: Place des Dominicains (artisan crafts), Place de l’Ancienne Douane (food court and mulled wine), Place Jeanne d’Arc (gastronomy), Petite Venise (children’s market with a mechanical nativity scene), Place de la Cathedrale (traditional Alsatian products), and the indoor Marche Couvert. The entire old town is illuminated with over 1,150 light points, making it one of Europe’s most decorated Christmas destinations. The markets open daily from 10am to 7pm (until 8pm on Fridays and Saturdays). Entry is free. Weekends are extremely crowded, go Monday to Thursday if possible. The official opening ceremony takes place on the last Friday of November. For more detail, see our best time to visit Colmar.
New Year’s Eve in Colmar
December 31. The Christmas lights stay on through January 1, creating a quieter, more romantic version of the festive season. Many restaurants offer special set menus (50 to 100 EUR per person, book by early December). There is no official fireworks display, small private displays go off along the Lauch River at midnight. The Musee Unterlinden stays open until 5pm on December 31 for a last cultural stop before the evening celebrations.
Colmar Events and Festivals: Spring
Colmar Spring Market (Marche de Printemps)
Late March to mid-April. A smaller-scale market held on the Place de l’Ancienne Douane featuring flower stalls, garden ceramics, regional food products, and craft vendors. This is not a tourist spectacle like the Christmas markets, it is a local shopping event, but walking through the old town with fresh flowers blooming along the canal banks is a different kind of Colmar experience. Open daily, free entry. About 40 stalls in total. For more detail, see our Colmar neighborhoods guide.
Easter Market (Marche de Paques)
Easter weekend (variable dates in March or April). Place des Dominicains hosts a small Easter market with chocolate artisans, decorated eggs, and children’s activities including a petting zoo with lambs and rabbits. The market runs Friday through Monday of Easter weekend, roughly 10am to 6pm. About 30 vendors. Good for families with young children.
Colmar Events and Festivals: Summer
Colmar International Festival (Festival International de Colmar)
First two weeks of July annually. Founded in 1980 by the German conductor Vladimir Spivakov, this classical music festival brings international orchestras and soloists to venues across Colmar including the Eglise Saint-Matthieu, the Theatre Municipal, and the Parc des Expositions. The programme features roughly 15 concerts over the two weeks. Ticket prices range from 15 to 60 EUR depending on the artist and venue. Book online at festival-colmar.com starting in May. The opening night concert is typically the biggest draw and sells out within days. For more detail, see our things to do in Colmar.
Foire aux Vins d’Alsace (Alsace Wine Fair)
Late July to early August, 10 days annually. This is Colmar’s largest event, drawing roughly 300,000 visitors to the Parc des Expositions convention centre. It combines an enormous Alsatian wine tasting hall (over 1,500 wines available by the glass) with live concerts each night. Recent performers have included major French and international acts. Day entry is free before 5pm, evening concert tickets range from 10 to 50 EUR depending on the headliner. The fair has operated since 1948 and is deeply woven into Alsatian culture. Accommodation in Colmar and surrounding villages books out months ahead, if you do not have a hotel reservation by May, plan to stay in Strasbourg (30 minutes by train) or Mulhouse (20 minutes by train) and commute in.
Fete de la Musique (Music Day)
June 21, annually. Part of a nationwide French celebration, Colmar’s version fills the streets and squares of the old town with free live music from late afternoon until well past midnight. Bands, choirs, and solo performers set up spontaneously, genres range from jazz and classical to rock and electronic. All performances are free. Restaurants and bars stay open late. It coincides with the summer solstice, so daylight lasts until nearly 10pm, creating a long, warm evening of outdoor music.
Colmar Events and Festivals: Autumn
Colmar Jazz Festival
Second week of September annually. A compact but respected jazz festival now in its 28th year, featuring roughly 10 performances in the old town squares (free outdoor shows) and the Theatre Municipal (ticketed indoor shows, 20 to 40 EUR). The programme mixes established French jazz artists with international guests. The outdoor shows at Place de l’Ancienne Douane are free and create a relaxed atmosphere with wine and food stalls nearby. Check the full programme at jazzcolmar.com from July onwards. For more detail, see our Colmar weather by month.
Grape Harvest Season (Vendanges)
September to early October. While not a single organised event, the grape harvest transforms the entire region. Vineyards around Colmar buzz with picking activity, many domaines offer harvest-day visits where you can watch the sorting and pressing (contact individual domaines directly, typically free or 5 to 10 EUR). The villages of the Alsace Wine Route (Eguisheim, Riquewihr, Kaysersberg) hold harvest festivals on various weekends in September and October with wine tastings, folk music, and Alsatian food. The exact dates vary by vintage, check with the Colmar tourist office from August onwards for confirmed village festival dates.
Salon du Chocolat (Chocolate Fair)
Mid-October, one weekend. A newer addition to Colmar’s event calendar, held at the Parc des Expositions. Roughly 50 chocolatiers and patissiers from Alsace and beyond display and sell their creations. Features chocolate sculpture demonstrations, tasting workshops (5 to 15 EUR per workshop), and a children’s chocolate-making area. Entry is approximately 5 EUR for adults, free for children under 12. Good for a half-day indoor activity on a rainy autumn weekend. For related planning, see our where to stay in Colmar guide. For related planning, see our Colmar travel tips and FAQ.
