On the second day of our trip to Lille, we went to the smoked garlic festival in Arleux, which is about a 25-minute drive from Cambrai, so about 40min drive from Lille.
Initially, we wanted to visit their brocante, but it was only on Saturday, not on Sunday. So in the end, we went to see just the festival, and visited some houses that were still doing their "vide maison", but we really enjoyed it nonetheless!
Where is Arleux and how to get there?
Arleux is located in the Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
We travelled from Cambrai, also in the same region, so it took about 25 minutes by car.
From Calais, it takes about 1.5 hours by car and about 2 hours by train via Calais-Ville -> Lille-Flandres -> Douai. However, if you are already in Lille, then it's just an hour by train.
You can get a rail pass via our partner, Trainline, which makes travelling from the UK and into Europe that much easier! It gives you unlimited train travel. No need to book in advance.
Smorked garlic festival (Foire à l'Ail Fumé)
This festival has been held every year since 1962 on the first weekend of September, just like the Braderie de Lille. A popular festival celebrates smoked garlic.
What we saw there
When we arrived at the festival, we couldn’t miss the smoked garlic, some onions and shallots. There were a lot of shops with their stalls selling them. Since we are not from the local area, we had no idea which one was the best. They all looked the same, and there wasn’t much difference in price.
There were also some other things like cheese, saucisson, apple and apple juice, etc.
At the farm called “A la petite ferme”, they were open to people seeing the smoke room for garlic, with an explanation board next to it. It was very interesting, and I love how they display things there!
They were also serving smoked garlic soup, but there was a long queue, so we gave up this time.
What we bought at the festival
We, of course, bought a bunch of smoked garlic, locally produced nougat, and a soup cup with the festival name, year, and smoked garlic soup recipe on it.
When we bought the smoked garlic, they put it in a plastic bag. Even though, after a trip back from Arleux, we could smell the smokiness in our car. It’s quite strong.
It seems they have locally produced apples, and we could see a farmer selling them and squeezing them using a traditional method.
We wish we could bring back some saucissons and cheese! Instead, we enjoyed some of those for our lunch.
Check what we can bring into the UK from France (GOV.UK)
It’s quite important to check this, especially since we used to bring back some butter, cheese, and meat products from France before it was restricted, in April 2025, to prevent the introduction of animal diseases, especially Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD).
A great surprise was the “Vide Maison”
The festival was great, but my initial plan to get there was to see the brocante (flea market). Unfortunately, it was only on Saturday. However, there were still some houses doing a “Vide maison”, which literally means “empty house”, so it’s a house clearance, or garage sale. These houses were still registered with the mairie for this village-wide event, so some had stands on the pavement, while others held them in their courtyards. We went to a small farm next to where we parked our car. I had never been to one like that before, but this house had a lot of great vintage items for a reasonable price.
I bought a few green Gien fondue plates and a large enamel water jug to display plants.
Closing words
The festival was smaller than the Braderie de Lille, but at times the streets were almost as packed as in Lille! Yet, it was fun, and I would love to go back and get some more smoked garlic. This year, I made smoked garlic confit so we could enjoy it longer.
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