The Caïon festival is a traditional Savoyard festival that takes place every year on the second Saturday of November. It is an opportunity to celebrate the pig, which has always played a major role in mountain agriculture.
A traditional festival in Annecy
In local dialect, the caïon is the pig. And this Annécian festival honours numerous recipes based on pork: sausages, cooked sausages, diots in white wine, pig tails and black puddings. It is an opportunity to gather around large tables to taste these typical dishes and drink mulled wine.
Every year, the popular pig call imitation competition is a great success with the public. The profits from this festival are used to help associations in Madagascar.
The musical entertainment is provided by La Ripaille à Sons.
Practical information
This festival takes place from 9 am to 6 pm on Place Notre Dame and Rue Filaterie in Annecy. You can taste on the spot or take home many local products.
The 2026 edition
The 2026 Fête du Caïon returns on Saturday 14 November to Place Notre-Dame and Rue Filaterie, right in the heart of Annecy.
Throughout the day, visitors will be able to enjoy stalls selling pork specialities and local Savoyard produce, as well as a range of entertainment. The brass band La Ripaille à Sons will also be there, as will the traditional pig-calling competition and, of course, a few pigs housed in pens for the occasion.
Previous editions
The 2025 edition
The 2025 Fête du Caïon took place on Saturday 8 November in Place Notre-Dame and Rue Filaterie. The traditional pig-calling competition, held at 4 pm, the La Ripaille à Sons brass band and the animal enclosures were all back again this year.
During this 17th edition, €5,000 was donated to the farming community, which has been particularly affected by contagious nodular dermatosis, as well as to humanitarian organisations in Madagascar supporting orphans and young people with disabilities.
The 2024 edition
The 2024 Caïon Festival took place on Saturday 9 November. As every year, visitors were able to sample delicious pork-based specialities, take part in the ‘Cri du Cochon’ imitation competition, and enjoy the musical entertainment as well as the day’s many surprises.
That year, together with the Chevallay brothers, the pig farmer Gérard Mugnier inducted two local figures, Anthony Granger and Jean-Robert Martel, into the Caïon Brotherhood. Both had joined the Caïon Brotherhood by taking the traditional oath of allegiance.
The 2023 edition
The 2023 Caïon Festival took place on Saturday 11 November.
The tradition continued, with the programme featuring a delicious variety of local produce to sample or take away, ranging from cheeses and bugnes to wines, bidoyon, black pudding and honey. Music, provided by La Ripaille à Sons, accompanied the day, creating a festive atmosphere. The famous pigs, just waiting to be stroked, were also there. And the highlight of the day? The traditional pig-squeal imitation contest, of course!
The 2022 edition
The 2022 Fête du Caïon took place on Sunday 12 November. It was a wonderful opportunity to celebrate pork in Annecy.
Throughout the day, visitors were treated to a performance by the brass band La Ripaille à Sons, as well as demonstrations and sales of local produce. A pig-calling competition was also organised, with around fifteen participants competing. A world champion in the discipline was even in attendance.
The 2021 edition
On 13 November 2021, the 15th edition of this event took place at Place Notre-Dame, after a year’s hiatus, much to the delight of exhibitors and the public alike.
The wine press was put through its paces, turning more than 2 tonnes of apples into 1,000 litres of ‘bidoyon’, much to the delight of visitors. Those in attendance also had the chance to browse the market, where they could buy regional specialities, including rissoles, honey, beer, génépi, local cheeses and white wines… enough to delight every palate!
