The happy team of traders from Les Halles in the starting blocks for the end-of-year celebrations. Midi Libre – Patrice Espinasse
Several parades will brighten up Les Halles de Sète and the streets of the city center between now and Christmas. The first one will start this Saturday, December 14.
They are ready. The sixty-three traders and artisans from Les Halles de Sète, including quite a few new and young faces, are entering the joyous Christmas fray.
The inflatable Santa Claus has been in place on the forecourt for over a week. The aisles and stalls are starting to be decorated. “Everyone is doing their utmost. Les Halles must be decked out in their finest attire”, insists Alexandra Soubrillard, the president of the merchants' association.
But it is this Saturday, December 14, that the festivities will truly kick off with the first of five parades that will liven up Les Halles and the city center. “The parade is traditional. But this year, it will be bigger with sixteen people. And we start on Saturday to get everyone in the mood”, explains Alexandra Soubrillard.
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The 2024 parade will consist of the Nutcrackers with their top hats, the giant panda bear, the White Ladies and a showman. These lovely people will therefore provide the show on Saturday 14, Sunday 15, Friday 20, Saturday 21 and Tuesday 24 December. Santa Claus will naturally be present, arriving in a red convertible Fiat 500, crisscrossing the city centre and available for photos.
While there will be no evening event, no competition for the most beautiful stall, no musical entertainment provided by the Le Diego bar like last year, the Halles will exceptionally remain open on the 24th and 31st, until 4 p.m., with many tastings. The Barajo and Café Lumière will open a bodega on the 24th and 31st.
And then the mecca of Sète gastronomy will naturally rise to the occasion to present its finest pieces on each stall. “Remember to order!”, warns Alexandra Soubrillard, in anticipation of the expected rush.
Where to see the parades in the city center
The five parades will all leave at 10 a.m. from the Passage, on December 14, 15, 20, 21 and 24. They will take the Grand-Rue Mario Roustan, the streets Paul-Valéry, Gambetta, Alsace-Lorraine and Général de-Gaulle before strolling along the Quai de la Résistance, the Passage le Dauphin, the Montée de la Bourse and the Rue Frédéric-Mistral, then parading in the Halles and putting on a show on the forecourt.