Les Gloutons du Lac: Street Food, Cooking Classes & More Along Lake Neuchâtel

Did you recently receive a mini-Taillaule at a train station in Switzerland? About 30,000 of these raisin-studded bread rolls — a local specialty in the canton of Neuchâtel — were given out last week to announce a new food festival along Lake Neuchâtel, Les Gloutons du Lac (Gluttons of the Lake). This 3-day event begins on Friday, August 25 and ends on Sunday, August 27. It offers a diverse line-up of events, which are all being held in conjunction with the city of Neuchâtel’s selection as this year’s Ville du Goût. (To learn more about this designation, check out my September 2016 post, “Neuchâtel Announced as Ville du Goût 2017.”)

Altogether, there are four primary components to Les Gloutons du Lac:

Street Food Festival (Friday to Sunday): At Neuchatel’s Place du Port, you will find around 40 different food vendors featuring both local culinary specialties and internationally inspired dishes. Free admission.
Cooking Classes from Les Laboratoires Culinaires (Friday to Sunday): Along the Quai Osterwald, this Neuchâtel cooking school will offer 8 different classes highlighting aromatic and edible plants. Registration is required (CHF 25, per class).
Outdoor photography exhibition (Friday to Sunday, and continues through September 17): Local photographer Sven de Almeida will present 40 images under the title, “A mes nobles faiblesses” (My noble weaknesses) that highlight Neuchâtel’s produits du terroir. There will also be live drawing demonstrations during the weekend.
Course de serveuses et garçons de café (Sunday): A festive running race will take place on the last day of this event, with participants dressed as waiters and waitresses carrying trays with glasses. The race starts at the port of Nid-du-Crô, travels a route of 1.8 kilometers and finishes at the Place du Port. Registration is required, and the deadline is August 25th at midnight (participation is free, no payment required). See the race rules for more information about this event.