When life hands the people of Menton a lemon, . . . they hold a citrus festival. The French city on the Mediterranean coast welcomes over 200,000 visitors annually to its lemon festival, where elaborate fruit displays and entertainment events take center stage for two and a half weeks.
The Mediterranean city has been a major producer of the tart yellow fruit since the 15th century. Then at the start of the 20th century, Menton became the largest producer of lemons in Europe—earning it the nickname “City of Lemons.”
In the early 1900s a local hotel owner thought of organizing a fruit and flower exhibition. The event became so popular that it became a full-blown festival—the Fête du Citron—in 1934.
The annual Lemon Festival features citrus fruit-laden floats as well as dance and folk performers.
This year’s festival theme is “Tribulations of a Lemon in China.” Displays depict everything from Chinese dragons and pandas to pagodas and temples. It’s a sweet way to celebrate a sour fruit.
