THE FAIR OF OUSSE-SUZAN
The Landes department is a land of traditions where culture occupies a special place. If you want to discover it, we recommend that you go to the Dax feria, the Madeleine festival in Mont-de-Marsan, Saint-Jean festival in Saint-Sever, Tyrosse and Hagetmau. You can see bandas, landaise races, bullfights and traditional games. For total immersion in the Landes countryside near the Landes Bleues campsite, head to the Ousse Suzan fair, which is held every year on September 29.
Ousse Suzan Fair,
A centuries-old tradition
Ousse-Suzan is one of those Landes villages which most of the time seem immersed in a gentle lethargy, one of those villages in the south-west of France where the sweetness of life is essentially due to its mild climate, its sunshine generous and to the good humor of its inhabitants. However, for several centuries, the town suddenly wakes up on September 29, the day of Saint-Michel, on the occasion of its famous fair. And this since the Middle Ages. At the time, the Landes fair consisted of a gathering of people and animals. The inhabitants came there to look for work, a wife or a husband, seeds, an animal or all kinds of objects.
More than 20,000 visitors to the Ousse Suzan fair
Every year
Today, the Ousse Suzan fair does not only attract single people, breeders, farmers and job seekers. This major attraction, one of the largest open-air events in the Landes, welcomes more than 20,000 visitors each year, sometimes twice as many when Saint-Michel Day coincides with a weekend. In addition to the curious, there are shopkeepers and showmen from all over France and abroad.
To find the best plans and take full advantage of the day, it is better to get up early. The Ousse Suzan fair officially opens at 8:30 a.m., but many people come an hour before to spot the bargains. Especially since the car park, which can accommodate around 6,000 vehicles, fills up quickly. Admission is free and the easiest way to get there from Mont-de-Marsan is to take the D38 to Ygos-Saint-Saturnin, then continue towards Ousse-Suzan.
Once you arrive, you are free to get lost in the joyful tumult of the Ousse Suzan fair. Agricultural machinery, cars, crockery, washing machines and other electrical appliances, furniture, decorative items, clothing, meat, cheese, chestnuts and other local products: each visitor finds what he came for. Take the time to stroll through the sandy alleys of the famous Landes fair and to visit the various stands (including the gastronomic stands) which stretch over several kilometres. After a first observation tour, take a detour to the Ousse-Suzan springs, renowned for their benefits. The locals will promise you that they will put an end to your rheumatism and your headaches. If you like local heritage, also consider visiting the Saint-Baptiste chapel.
The party goes on late into the night. To encourage visitors to stay and warm them up after dark, hot meals and local wine (bourret) are served.
