498th Bird Festival

There will be a torchlight procession, fireworks, a traditional parade, the 2026 Royalty elections, and a variety of shows and entertainment. Young and old alike can also enjoy the funfair set up on the Perdtemps esplanade throughout the weekend. Refreshments and snacks on site. According to legend, the festival is associated with the image of Léonette de Joinville. Léonette, heiress to the barony of Gex, married Simon de Joinville in 1252. For half a century, she ruled the barony of Gex, from Châtillon-en-Michaille to Versoix. Around 1225, the marriage of Léonette, Dame de Gex, to the Prince de Joinville brought great festivities and celebrations to the bailliage. The table of the newlyweds and the lords was overflowing with the most varied dishes. Superb birds with juicy, golden flesh, tantalizing to the taste buds, aroused the envy of a few peasants. Some of the more daring approached the seigneurial table and demanded a share of the birds. The Prince de Joinville, outraged by such impudence, decided to hang the peasants to punish them for their insolence. More lenient, the gentle Léonette intercedes on behalf of her people and is granted mercy. To settle the dispute, the birds are hoisted to the top of a pike. The best marksmen practice on this target, and their skill wins them the much-desired share. This quarrelling game amuses the lords, who decide to repeat it every Trinity Sunday on their lady's wedding anniversary. The winner is proclaimed King of the Bird and, if he repeats the feat, obtains title and rank in the States. And so, year after year, century after century, the legend of the Bird enlivens the festivities of the Bailliage of Gex.