December is all about the holiday spirit. All the towns along the French Riviera have launched their Christmas markets. The bigger the town, the more impressive the market. For a complete list of towns and their displays, click here. Look for the traditional bain de noel in towns along the coast where locals don Santa caps and plunge into the sea. It’s fun and you can easily join in.

Here are the highlights along with other events in December:

Nice

Christmas Village and Market

Jardin Albert 1er

In Nice, head to the Jardin Albert 1er for he Christmas Village and market  along with the gigantic Ferris Wheel. There’s a regular schedule of concerts and dances to keep the ambiance lively and of course there are plenty of food stalls. Click here for the full schedule.

**Note that the traditional Fête Foraine in Luna Park  has been moved out of the city because of ongoing construction near the Palais des Expositions. The new location for this popular amusement park is on the Plaine du Var, right outside Ikea.

Bain de Noel

December 15, Ruhl Plage

Join several hundred brave souls and plunge into the chilly water or just watch the fun. Get there around 10.30am.

Christmas Parade

December 8, avenue Jean Medecin

With floats, bands, dancers, jugglers and acrobats the annual Christmas parade is quite a show. The parade starts at 5pm at the corner of avenue Jean Medecin and avenue Thiers and finishes at 6.30 on Place Massena which will be fully illuminated with a laser show.

Nativity Scenes

Cathedrale Sainte Reparate; Eglise d’Annunciation (Saint Rita)

The nativity scene outside the Cathedral is life-size and features moving automatons. The nativity scene inside the cosy Saint Rita church is composed of hand-made santons representing local artisans.

And don’t forget Midnight Mass at the Cathedral which is splendidly decked out in flowers. Get there at 11pm for a good seat.

Book Fair

December 7, Gare du Sud

A number of stands devoted to local publishers and writers celebrate Nice’s literary scene. More here.

Orchestre d’Harmonie de la Ville de Nice

December 8,  15, Eglise de Voeu

Their Sunday afternoon free orchestral concert at 3.30pm is a great prelude to the Christmas market.

Cinderella Ballet

Nice Opera December 17-29

The immortal tale of the abused step-daughter is told in dance to the modern choreography of Thierry Malandain.

See the full December schedule at the Nice Opera.

Ensemble Baroque de Nice

December 16, Eglise Saint Martin-Saint Augustin

Nice’s venerable baroque ensemble will give a concert of Bach Cantatas in Nice’s baroque Saint Martin-Saint Augustin church. Buy tickets in advance. More here.

Afterwork Concerts

December 11, 12 Cave Bianchi

The Nice Opera sends its soloists to perform in an intimate setting at the Cave Bianchi wine shop. Hear dueling tenors accompanied by a piano and finish with a drink. Tickets are €20 and include the drink. More info here.

Monaco

Christmas Village and Market

It’s worth the effort to head to Monaco’s extravagant celebration which runs from December 6 to January 5 along the Port Hercule. There are weekend parades from 2:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m that run daily during the school holidays. There’s also an ice skating rink. More here.

Christmas Concert

December 14, Eglise Saint Charles

This free concert starts at 7pm and features works by Handel, Bach and others performed by soloists from the Orchestre Philharmonique de Monaco. Get there early!

Antibes

Fete de la Bûche de Noel

December 14, Place du Safranier

An extremely long bûche de Noel (Yuletide log) will be displayed and distributed from 5pm in the heart of Old Antibes.

Cannes

Christmas Village Ice Rink

In the midst of the elaborate Christmas Village and Market, Cannes has placed an ice skating rink. It’s kids only in the morning but open to all for the rest of the day. More here.

Saint Paul de Vence

Truffle Market

December 22, Place de Gaulle

The pricey little fungi are the stars of the day. Here’s where to taste them, buy them and also sample other local treats. More here.

Luceram

Nativity Scenes

This little mountain village is famous for its crêches. The inhabitants of this tiny village put together some 500 creches, remarkable for their individuality and creativity. There’s even a museum devoted to this ancient tradition. A special creche circuit is marked on local maps that take you through the entire village. It’s open daily from early December to early January with a brief lunch closure on weekdays. There are special ceremonies on Sunday. To get there, take bus 615 from Vauban or take the train to L’Escarene and then bus 615. It takes around 1 1/2 hours. More info here.

Menton

Jazz Concerts

In addition to their Christmas Village and market, Menton will feature jazz concerts December 13, 20, 27 from 6 to 9pm. More here.

Saint Laurent du Var

Raclette Party

December 21, Parc Layet

From 7 to 10pm chow down on raclette while a DJ spins tunes in the background.

Looking ahead. . .

The traditional New Years Day free concert is held at the Opera and begins at 11am. Get there early!

For more holiday ideas see Things to Do on the French Riviera in Winter