It’s not as if I need much persuading to spend time in Champagne. The name says it all: capital of perfection in a bottle. Yes, it’s often cold and yes, it does seem to rain a lot but let’s not get too picky. The region pumps out some 300 million bottles of golden bubbles each year – enough said; locals are even making a bid to have it declared a UNESCO heritage site within the next few years. Veuve Clicquot, Pol Roger, Moët & Chandon, Mercier, Perrier-Jouët, Vranken and de Castellane all set up shop in Epernay many magnums ago and that’s ample reason to visit but come December there’s another one: Les Habits de Lumière. The three-day festival organised by the Comité de L’Avenue de Champagne shows the town in a completely different light, in lots of different lights actually. Imagine facades dancing with colour and characters, giant illuminated kites hovering over rooftops, pop-up champagne bars street parades, including performances by the luscious La Fabrique à Délices, a lollipop troupe of masked musicians, jugglers and maids on rollerblades that looked to have stepped out of Willy Wonka’s factory. Saturday morning, 10 of the region’s star chefs will congregate near the old Saint-Thibault market for demonstrations and degustations, revealing their preferred plates, providores and brand of bubbles. Arnaud Lallement from 2-star L’Assiette Champenoise teams with Pol Roger, master chocolatier Vincent Dallet with Vranken’s Demoiselle, and Michael Nizzero from 1-star La Briqueterie with Comtesse Lafond. Expect a traffic jam on Sunday, not from the exodus of visitors (30,000 last year) but the influx of 350 mythic and much-loved autos as they purr to a stop on the Epernay’s Champagne avenue. Les Habits de Lumière December 14, 15 & 16. Street parades, light and sound shows on 14th &15th. Fireworks on the night of the 14th. Les Habits de Saveurs (chefs) from 9am on the 15th; La Parade Automobile on the 16th
Images © Les Habits de Lumière/La Fabrique à Délices