Is the 2024 Fete du Citron Menton Worth It?

The Fete du Citron, or lemon festival, is an annual event held every February in Menton, France. It celebrates the Menton lemon, a protected fruit. And this year, on the 90th anniversary of the festival, my husband and I were lucky enough to attend the first day of Fete du Citron Menton!

We visited Menton on Feb 17, 2024 and the city was shining in all of its citrus glory! The lemon sculptures were stunning, the lemon-flavoured beer was crisp, and the lemon soap smelled heavenly.

But is the lemon festival worth the squeeze? Is it as a-peel-ing as it sounds? Read on to find out if Menton’s festival of lemons is really worth attending.

I’ll share my experience at the festival, the pros and cons of attending, and whether or not I recommend you go. Plus I’ll share some non-lemony things to do in Menton and how to best get there.

Pros of attending the Fete du Citron Menton

1. The citrus sculptures are impressive

There’s no doubt that the giant citrus sculptures and patterns (mostly made out of lemons and oranges) along the Bioves Gardens are impressive. They absolutely have a wow factor to them and it’s awesome to see them up close!

For the 2024 Fete du Citron, the theme is “from Olympia to Menton.” The big sculptures included a skateboarder, a swimmer doing the Butterfly, two men wrestling in Greek vases, a team rowing down the rapids, and a couple of Greek temples.

The swimmer was probably my favourite. I liked how they got his shoulders up as if he were about to crash back into the water. And the orange in his ear as an ear plug was a fun touch!

2. If you love lemons, you’ll be in heaven

Obviously, the fete du citron is all about Menton’s pride and joy, lemons! If you love the look, taste and smell of lemons, you’re going to be a happy camper.

While admiring the sculptures at the Bioves Gardens, you’ll also see lots of little stalls selling lemon snacks, drinks and products. If you continue into the old town, you’ll find even more lemon shops selling everything from soaps and candles to oils, lotions, dish towels and dresses with lemons.

My husband, Colin, picked up a lemon beer at the Bioves Gardens, which also came with a souvenir cup for just €2! We also bought a lemon magnet, postcards with lemons and some lemon candy.

Of course, we couldn’t leave town without a lemon tart!

3. The city is full of life

Unlike some places we visited in the South of France in February, Menton is absolutely brimming with a zest for life. The city is alive and in full festival mode!

This can make exploring Menton a lot of fun. We really loved walking down to the port and checking out some of the beaches in Menton. It was fun to see buskers playing music, kids running around, dogs walking along the pier and so many people out enjoying the sun.

We stopped for lunch at a delicious pizza restaurant by the water and were lucky to score a seat without a reservation. All of the outdoor (and most of the indoor) tables were reserved!

Cons of attending the Menton Lemon Festival

1. It’s extremely crowded

Probably the biggest con to attending the lemon festival in Menton is the crowds. While it’s great to see the city so alive, it can be a little overwhelming as a visitor.

We took the 10:20 am train from Nice to Menton on Sat, Feb 17 (the first day of the 2024 festival) and it was pretty busy. We were lucky to snag seats but some people stood the whole way.

Once we arrived in Menton, almost everyone cleared off the train. Due to some construction at the station, it was a very slow, almost single file, walk from the station to the main festival grounds at Bioves Gardens.

Once there, it was still pretty hectic to get around people and see the sculptures. At a stage in the middle of the gardens, we were pretty much slowed to a crawl trying to get by.

Of course, these crowds also spill out into the old town and port, making those areas quite busy and dining reservations hard to come by. And if you’re in Menton on a parade day, expect the crowds to be even bigger!

That said, not everywhere was packed. On our way back to the train station, we took a side street and it was empty. Our train back to Nice was also much less crowded.

2. Accommodation is expensive

With the Fete du Citron being Menton’s big claim to fame, of course accommodation in the city is going to be expensive. Hotels in Menton and Menton Airbnbs will book up early and charge much higher rates than they usually would in the winter.

You can save some money by booking early, trying alternative accommodation (such as camping in Menton), or staying outside of town.

We chose to stay in Nice and just make a day trip to Menton, which was convenient and much cheaper. I’ll detail how to get from Nice to Menton below!

3. Depending on when you visit, there may not be much to see

This was another huge con to the Menton lemon festival for us but it was mostly our own fault.

The main events of the 2024 festival are the citrus sculptures (free entry, Feb 17-Mar 3), the night parade (paid tickets, Feb 22 & 29), the golden fruit day parade (paid tickets, Feb 18, 25 & Mar 3), and the arts and crafts show and orchid festival, which are both free to attend and right by the citrus sculptures.

Because we visited on the first day of the festival (Feb 17, 2024), we were really only able to see the citrus patterns at the Jardins Bioves, and a bit of the orchid and craft shows. We saw the stands set up for the parades but they were happening on other days that didn’t work for our schedule.

While it sucked to not be able to see the parades, it’s also more budget friendly to attend the festival on a non-parade day when the main events are free. For the parades, you also have to book your tickets in advance and deal with much larger crowds.

The festival website also boasts a ton of other events you can take part in – guided hikes, painting workshops, concerts, parties and more. So if you happen to be there on a non-parade day like us, there’s still lots you can get involved in!

Other things to do in Menton (if you’re tired of lemons)

Besides lemons, Menton has a few other things you can do while you’re in town!

Check out the Basilique Saint-Michel-Archange: This cool church pokes its head out of Menton’s old town, just asking you to stop by while you’re wandering the city.

See the view from the Cemetery of the Old Château: For a great view over Menton, climb up to this cemetery and take it all in!

Enjoy the beaches in Menton: Being right on the water, Menton has a number of beaches you can chill at. While it’s probably too cold to swim in February, it was warm enough to sunbathe, have a drink and enjoy the water views!

Wander through the Jardin Botanique Val-Rahmeh Menton: If you love gardens, you can check out this one just a 20 minute walk from the city centre. You could also visit the Serre de la Madone Garden, but it’s currently closed for renovations.

Visit the Museum Jean Cocteau The Bastion: Jean Cocteau is a French poet and playwright and this seaside museum is dedicated to his work.

Walk the old town and port: Menton’s old town and port are super charming, with lots of great little shops and restaurants. While they will be crowded during the festival, they’re absolutely worth visiting.

How to get there: Train from Nice to Menton

The easiest way to get to Menton is by direct train from Nice. Currently (Feb 2024), this train leaves Nice-Ville station every thirty minutes and takes about 35 minutes to get to Menton.

Our tickets cost €6.40 per adult, one-way. We bought our tickets from kiosks at the station, but you can also buy them online or on the SNCF app. There’s no advantage to buying in advance as the price is the same.

From the train station, it was about a five minute walk to the top of Jardens Bioves (where the citrus sculptures are). To the old town, it’s a 15-20 minute walk.

Final thoughts: Is the lemon festival in Menton worth attending?

Yes and no. I think if you’re only going to see the sculptures, won’t be able to attend any of the parades, and don’t really care to visit the rest of the town, it’s not worth attending the Fete du Citron Menton. While the sculptures were cool, the crowds really took away from the experience.

However, if you want to go all out with the festival – attending parades, going to their other events, eating and buying all the lemon products – then I do think it’s worth going!

Or if you think you’ll still be able to enjoy the other parts of Menton, like the beaches and old town, despite the crowds, then the lemon festival may still be worth it for you.

Overall, I’m glad we went. It was an easy half-day trip from Nice and I was glad to see what all the fuss was about. I liked Menton as a city, but the crowds were certainly not my favourite.

I’d like to revisit Menton two more times: once more to do the festival properly, attending the parades and maybe some other events. And then again in the shoulder season when the festival isn’t on, to enjoy Menton without the crowds.

What do you think? Would you attend the Fete du Citron Menton?