From February 18th to March 9th the French town of Menton on the Riviera is given over to the celebration of the fruit Lemon.


The lemon festival is marked with the construction of sculptures made out of lemons and oranges, floats decorated with lemons are paraded on the streets with folk groups and baton-swinging majorettes.


The evening processions are followed by fireworks that light up the bay and the waters of the Mediterranean.


It all started in 1929 when Menton became the continent's premier producer of lemons. In order to celebrate the first flower and citrus exposition was organised at the Hotel Riviera gardens.


It was so successful that the following year, the exposition extended into the streets with wagons beautifully planted with oranges and lemons. In 1934 the Lemon Festival or Fête du Citron was officially born.