The small commune of Montagne Noire, Castans, and its 120 inhabitants invite you this Sunday, October 25th, for the 28th edition of the Chestnut Fair, or Grande Castanhada, supported by Carcassonne Agglo. During the event's presentation on Tuesday at the Carcassonne Agglo headquarters, the vice-president in charge of Agriculture, Viticulture, and Food, André Bonnet, emphasized the intercommunal entity's commitment to supporting these fairs and producers.
« President Régis Banquet wished, over ten years ago, for the Agglo to take on agricultural responsibilities. It was not a mandatory competence, but it was the right choice. We are now moving forward in the territory with these fairs as well as the creation of water reserves. In Val de Dagne, work on the hillside reservoir has begun », explained André Bonnet.
The chestnut fair is an event that celebrates the local terroir, its products, and those who produce them. The chestnut, an ancestral crop of this corner of the Aude, is the star. Many chestnut groves are being restored, and the plant product processing workshop "Atelier des saveurs de la montagne Noire" promotes the sale of processed goods such as flour, jams, and biscuits.
Also on the menu is a large artisanal and gourmet market with about forty producers and craftspeople: honey, bread, vegetables, beers, wines, as well as a basket maker, a potter, and a distiller. Entertainment and workshops on nature, chestnut shelling demonstrations, and apple pressing are also planned. The village will come alive with street performances by the circus school of Mazamet and several exhibitions.
An exhibition on water management by the Agglo's Water Board will be held at the Saint-Roch chapel, where a recently restored 17th-century statue of the Virgin and Child will also be presented. Other nature exhibitions are planned at the Presbytery. For dining, GAEC Lassalle will offer burgers and veal skewers with chestnut sauce, and the Le GRAAL association will provide meal plates.
According to the mayor of Castans, Thierry Cros, this festival « created in 1996, is organized around local producers, the Le GRAAL association, local artisans and shopkeepers, and Castans elected officials. It showcases the life and dynamism of the Montagne Noire and its inhabitants. We are fighting against remoteness to attract families. And this fair contributes to this effort and remains, above all, a celebration. »
Chestnuts are recognized for their nutritional value: rich in energy due to complex carbohydrates, they are beneficial for digestion, provide fiber, resistant starch, potassium, magnesium, iron, B vitamins, and vitamin C, and contain little fat.
