Festivals in France start to heat up in May then continue throughout the summer, but I’ve been on vacation (in Rome, which is no less than fabulissima, if that is a word. I don’t think it is but you get what I mean.) so I’m a bit behind in my search for food for the soul divertissements in France.

When I hear the words, “France” and “Country Music” in the same sentence, I’m convinced that this combination of words is a mistake. But just because country music is surely not food for MY soul, I do (I really do!) appreciate that millions of others find rapture and bliss in it.

And so (yes, this is going somewhere I swear.) I found something quite unusual, thanks to a conversation.

Recently, I asked my dad-in-law if he wanted me to get him something while I’m in New York next month. After a minute of thinking, he asked me to get him a hat from Dallas.

Me: “But. I’m going to New York. You’d like a hat from Dallas that I can buy in New York? Should I simply order online from a hat store in Texas and have it delivered?”

Dad-in-law: “Not the city of Dallas, la serie!”

Me: “OH! That show from the 90s?” (I’m not really sure when that aired but it had to air in France later after some dubbing time.)

Him: “I want a hat like JR.”

Long silence.

Me: “oooooOOOOoooo K…..”

I’d actually never watched that show but it was apparently La Serie (capital L capital S!) en France – so I had to do a little searchy to see what kind of hat ole JR wore – which brings me to this weird festival in France.

The Festival de Country Music in Mirande, France is a 5-day long celebration of all things country, including but not limited to special appearances by the cast of Dallas (Patrick Duffy, Larry Hagman, Linda Gray, Steve Kanaly and Charlene Tilton), lots and lots and LOTS of country music (16 hours per day, 73 concerts), dancing, hot air ballooning and more. Yeeeehawww! It’s the biggest country music festival in Europe and last year alone, 160,000 people attended. That’s really big for Mirande, which is a tiny village in southwest France (in Gascony between Pau and Toulouse) of 4,000 inhabitants.

Ready for the event? Then, saddle up and saunter over to southwest France. Don’t forget your cowboy boots, spurs, hat, (of course) and fuzzy chaps!

Festival de Country Music
Mirande, France (Gascogne)
July 11 – 15, 2007
Website: Mirande Country Music Festival