Early Modern · Parks

Alsace Wine Fair

Colmar

The Alsace Wine Fair is an annual event held for 10 days during the last two weekends of July at Parc des Expositions de Colmar. It combines a trade fair, a showcase of Alsace wines, and an eclectic music festival, making it both a commercial and cultural event. Since its inception, it has hosted many national and international artists. It is the third largest trade fair in France after Paris and Marseille. The event was created in 1948 under the name Foire Régionale des Vins d’Alsace. At the end of the 1950s, it became Foire aux Vins d’Alsace when musical programming was added. Concerts are held every evening on the stage of La Coquille. Musical programming was managed by Johnny Stark from 1958 to 1973 and has featured artists such as Mireille Mathieu, Claude François, Joe Dassin, Johnny Hallyday, Indochine, Claudio Capéo, and Yannick Noah. The programme also included Nuit Blanche, a DJ event running until 4 a.m.

Map showing the location of Alsace Wine Fair in Colmar
Location of Alsace Wine Fair in Colmar

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The Alsace Wine Fair

The Alsace Wine Fair, known as Intro, is an annual event held for 10 days during the last two weekends of July at Parc des Expositions de Colmar. It combines a trade fair, a showcase of Alsace wines, and an eclectic music festival. Since its inception, it has hosted many national and international artists. In terms of scale, Intro is the third largest trade fair in France, after those in Paris and Marseille.

History and Musical Programming

The event was created in 1948 under the name Foire Regionale des Vins d'Alsace. At the end of the 1950s, it became Foire aux Vins d'Alsace when musical programming was added to the fair. Since then, the event has offered concerts every evening on the stage of La Coquille, making music a central part of its public presentation.

Musical Programming and Performance

The musical programming of the Foire aux Vins d Alsace was managed by Johnny Stark from 1958 to 1973. It included a broad range of performances and also served to plan new dates for the event. The fair was hosted from Saturday 4 to Wednesday, and again from Friday 10 to Wednesday, with a day off on Thursday. A first-time formula introduced a pause intended to allow rest for people mobilized for the manifestation. Among the featured artists were Mireille Mathieu, Claude Francois, Joe Dassin, Calogero, Vincent Eckert, Noa, Zazie, Manau, Matmatah, Pierpoljak, and Faudel. Johnny Hallyday appeared twelve times, while Indochine was hosted eight times. The programmation musicale also included a DJ event called Nuit Blanche, running until 4 in the morning, with artists such as David Guetta, Martin Solveig, and Bob Sinclar. Other performers associated with the programming included Claudio Capeo and Yannick Noah.