Homme faisant griller des harengs devant le bar l'Escale sur le quai Henri 4. Des harengs crus sont accrochés à une barre au-dessus du grill. A l'arrière-plan des personnes sont attablées en terrasse

NovemberHerring and scallops: the kings of the party!

Herring and Scallop Festival

It’s an amazing experience! With the Foire aux Harengs et à la Coquille Saint-Jacques held every third weekend in November, Dieppe celebrates its ancestral link with the sea and the fishing trades.

> The next edition on November 15 & 16, 2025 <

Herring or scallop?

Marinated, grilled or fresh, this fish from the north, which has just arrived on the Channel coast, can be enjoyed with no pretensions to gastronomy, but with real gourmet pleasure. The nec plus ultra is to taste it fresh off the grill, accompanied by a potato cooked in the embers and then sliced open, with a dab of melting salted butter drizzled over it. Or try a skewer of scallops, accompanied by a small glass of white wine.

By Saturday morning, every restaurant, brasserie and bar is gearing up for the midday bonfire, as no one can fail to enjoy the tradition of steaming grills in front of their establishments.

Edition 2024

All practical information

November 16 & 17

What is the program for the 2024 Herring Fair?
– Saturday:
> 10am: inauguration, accompanied by the Northmen Brass band
> 11am: cooking class with Mémoire d’Empreintes
> 12:30 pm: tasting at the Crustafrais stand
> 2:30pm: Northmen Brass band performs
> 2:30 p.m. to 5 p.m.: Les Polletais folk dances / place du Hâble, on the Foire à Tout side and Schnelbach traffic circle
> 3pm: Le Pollet, quartier des gens de mer guided tour by Dieppe Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (prices: €3.50 to €5.50)
> 3pm: cooking class with Mémoire d’Empreintes
> 3:30 pm: shell removal competition / place du Hâble
> 4pm: cooking class with Mémoire d’Empreintes
> 5pm: Northmen Brass band performs
> 6pm: Le Bal strolling show
> 7pm: Fireworks / Quai de la Marne
– Sunday :
> 9am and 10am: cooking classes with Mémoire d’Empreintes
> 10:30 am and 3:30 pm: enucleation contest / place du Hâble
> 10:30 am: Batucada march by the Conservatoire Camille Saint-Saëns
> 11am: “Cité Maritime” guided tour by Dieppe Ville d’Art et d’Histoire (prices: €3.50 to €5.50)
> 3pm: cooking classwith Mémoire d’Empreintes
> 3pm: stroll by the Conservatoire Camille Saint-Saëns Batucada
> 3:30 pm: shell removal contest / place du Hâble
– Saturday and Sunday:
> Village with numerous stands, including that of the City of Dieppe (exhibitions on the fair’s posters and on the fish trade) / quai Henri IV
> Artisan and food market / Quai Henri IV
> Garage sale / Quartier du bout du quai
> Small funfair / Quai Henri IV
Other events:
– Guided tours “Discover Dieppe” Saturday 16 at 3pm
– Guided tour “Discovering Le Pollet” Sunday 17 at 10:30 am
> From 8 to 13 € – Reservations recommended on 06 98 02 21 11
– On the ESTRAN Cité de la Mer stand
Where can I get the poster and related products?
Herring Fair merchandise is on sale at theTourist Office:
- Poster (3 €)
- Magnet (4€)
- Mug (7 €)
- Bag (7 €)
You can also visit the City of Dieppe stand on the weekend of the Fair.
Where can I park my car? Is there a shuttle service?
🚗 Cars can park in the Alpine factory staff parking lot (40 avenue de Bréauté). This parking lot is free of charge.
🕑Parkingopen: Saturday from 9am to 11pm and Sunday from 9am to 8pm.
🚌 A free shuttle bus will run every 30 minutes along this route:
Parking hippodrome → Normandie Sussex stop → Centre-ville/Pont Ango
🕑 Saturday from 9am to 10:30pm and Sunday from 9am to 8pm.
Where can I park my motorhome? Is there a shuttle service?
- At theHippodrome (avenue de Bréauté in Rouxmesnil-Bouteilles): from Thursday, 1.30pm to Monday, 12am
- Lycée professionnel de l’émulation (rue de Stalingrad): from Friday, 6 p.m. to Monday, 8 a.m.
- Land between the SNCF train station and the Centre Technique Municipal, Avenue Normandie-Sussex, near the former bar La Chaloupe, Cours de Dakkar, Rue Stalingrad: from Saturday, 8:30am to Sunday, 7pm.
🚌 A free shuttle bus will run every 30 minutes along this route:
Parking hippodrome → stop Normandie Sussex → Centre-ville/Pont Ango
🕑 Saturday 9am to 10.30pm and Sunday 9am to 8pm
How to get there by public transport?
🚌 DeepMob bus routes 1,2 and 3 are operating normally. Buses remain free for all on Saturday.
>>> Find out more on the DeepMob website.
Line 14 will run exceptionally from 9pm on Saturday.
>>> Find the route and timetable here.
⚠️ The downtown electric shuttlewill not operate on November 16 and 17.
🚆 The station is about 800 meters from the start of Quai Henri IV, where the Fair takes place.
>>> Find out more about train fares and timetables on the SNCF Connect website.
Where to park a bus?
Tourist buses can park :
- next to the seafront motorhome park (between boulevard de Verdun and boulevard Maréchal Foch)
- Allée François Mitterrand, near the town hall
- Lycée Jehan Ango parking lot
→ See the bus parking map for the Foire aux Harengs 2024
Is there any special information for visitors with disabilities?
Visitors with the ” carte mobilité inclusion stationnement” (mobility and inclusion card ) on their vehicle can park free of charge in any downtown square (excluding underground parking lots).
The free shuttle buses “Parking hippodrome → arrêt Normandie Sussex → Centre-ville/Pont Ango” are accessible to people with reduced mobility.
Please contact the restaurants in advance to find out more about their accessibility. Le Tout Va Bien and La Tour aux Crabes have rooms and toilets adapted for people with reduced mobility.
What about on-site catering? Do I need to make a reservation?
To enjoy a grilled herring or a skewer of scallops, you can sit inside or on the terrace of one of the restaurants on the quay or in town. Most establishments don’t take reservations for this special weekend.
It’s also possible to take your meal away and enjoy it while strolling along the fairgrounds, on the pebbles of the beach or on one of the benches in the marina.
I can't find any available accommodation for November 17. Where should I look?
Many establishments are fully booked for the night of Saturday November 17, several weeks before the event.
On our dedicated page, you’ll find a selection of hotels, bed & breakfasts and self-catering accommodation in the Dieppe region that have recently told us they still have some availability:
>>> Our selection of accommodation available for the Foire aux Harengs 2024

A break on the terrace

But no fair is complete without a solemn inauguration. Beforehand, the members of the Confrérie du Hareng et de la Coquille Saint-Jacques (Brotherhood of Herring and Scallops) march past. Dressed as aldermen, they renew their annual pledge to promote the noble shellfish and the king fish.

At the stroke of midday, the terraces invite you to take a short break. Then it’s time to pause for a moment before the slightly surreal image of an improvised cook, wearing ski goggles to protect himself from the fumes, hard at work in front of a grill on the sidewalk of a neighborhood bistro. Crackling and roasting, a few silhouettes linger in the delicious, appetizing cloud before sitting down to dinner.

Stroll through Bout du Quai

Traditionally peaceful, the streets of Bout du Quai, one of Dieppe’s two historic fishermen’s quarters, come alive with the “braderie des habitants”. Satiated strollers stroll through a fragrant veil that never lets them go. Street entertainment, children’s games and attractions, stalls and markets selling local and international produce– there’s plenty to keep you entertained and tempted.

A little history

Dieppe’s history is intimately linked to the sea, and this celebration of herring and shellfish around the fishing industry bears witness to this. Smoked, salted or eaten fresh, herring was a lifeline for Dieppe residents during the long winters of the Middle Ages, and often saved them from starvation. At that time, the first fisheries and saltworks were established, and most of the herring sold on the stalls of Paris or Rouen came from Dieppe, thanks to the chasse-marée (tide boats) that provided a rapid link between the sea and the capital. As for the shell,the “white gold” of Dieppe’s sailors, it is fished during the winter season and graces the most refined tables.