Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market: 3,000 visitors and shared equipment

The Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market returns from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November 2026 for its sixth edition. In 2025, this town of 16,800 people west of Paris drew more than 3,000 visitors in three days, a record according to the council. To achieve this, the town shares equipment with its neighbours and its local authority grouping. Here is the review, the 2026 programme and what other mayors can learn from it.

Les Clayes-sous-Bois is a commune (the smallest unit of local government in France) in the Yvelines département, west of Paris. Its council runs a three-day market itself, and the 2025 edition was already the fifth. Therefore, it is a useful example for mid-sized towns that want to liven up their centre on a tight budget.

How did the Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market do in 2025?

According to the council press release, the fifth edition, held from 28 to 30 November 2025, welcomed “more than 3,000 visitors”. The council calls it a “record attendance”, although it gives no exact figure or comparison with previous years.

In addition, 80 exhibitors set up around the town hall, on Place Charles-de-Gaulle and in the Espace Philippe-Noiret. Activities included a sledge run, a merry-go-round, a little train, oyster tasting on Sunday morning, shows by local clubs and the arrival of Father Christmas.

Craft stalls at the Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market — In 2025, the market had 80 exhibitors. Photo: Jocelyn Allen / Unsplash

How does the town organise its market?

First, council staff build the event themselves. According to the press release, it takes a week to install:

23 marquees and 20 chalets;
40 Christmas trees and 400 baubles;
130 tables and 220 chairs;
200 metres of fairy lights.

Sharing equipment to control costs

Above all, the council says it shares this equipment with neighbouring towns and with the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines (SQY) urban community. As a result, it speaks of “controlled costs”. However, the press release gives neither the total cost nor how it is funded.

For other councils, the lesson is clear: chalets, marquees and decorations are only used a few days a year. Lending or sharing them between towns in the same grouping therefore cuts each town’s spending. Moreover, it avoids buying kit that sits in storage for the rest of the year.

Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market 2026: dates and programme

According to the council announcement published on 5 November, the sixth edition runs from Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November 2026, with “nearly 90 exhibitors”: craftspeople, designers and local producers. The market opens at 5.30pm on Friday, 3pm on Saturday and 11am on Sunday.

Friday 27: elves’ parade at 5.30pm, then official opening at 6pm by the mayor and the children’s council, countdown to the lights and arrival of Father Christmas; Folkways concert from 7pm to 9pm.
Saturday 28: Folkways concert from 3pm to 5pm, A Corps Danse show at 5.30pm, Spirit Gospel concert at 6.30pm and craft workshops.
Sunday 29: screening of “The Grinch” at 10am, free oysters and white wine offered by the council at 11.30am, T’NT Danse show at 1.30pm and hamper competition results at 5pm.

In addition, a merry-go-round and a winter sledge run operate every day. Finally, the hamper competition (2 euros per entry) raises money for the Téléthon, France’s annual charity fundraiser. The 2026 announcement does not give the exact location; in 2025, the market was held around the town hall.

Christmas tree and decorated chalets like at the Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market — The lights are switched on at the opening evening. Photo: Vladyslav Melnyk / Unsplash

Why do small Christmas markets work?

Three days, nearly 90 exhibitors and free entertainment: the formula is all about community. Thus it complements large markets such as those in Paris or La Défense, which run for weeks. For craftspeople, it is also a low-cost showcase; our guide on becoming a stallholder in France explains the rules. However, the council has not published data on spending in local shops, so attendance is the only measure of success available.

Wooden chalets and fairy lights in the evening — A three-day market relies on proximity and free entertainment. Photo: Matt Seymour / Unsplash

Clayes-sous-Bois Christmas market: key takeaways

2026 edition: Friday 27 to Sunday 29 November, with nearly 90 exhibitors.
2025 review: more than 3,000 visitors in three days and 80 exhibitors, a record according to the council.
Run in-house by council staff, with a week of set-up.
Equipment shared with neighbouring towns and the Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines urban community.
Cost and funding: not published by the council.

Sources: Les Clayes-sous-Bois council press release; Les Clayes-sous-Bois council, 2026 Christmas market; geo.api.gouv.fr (population), checked on 15 November 2026. Read this article in French: Marché de Noël des Clayes-sous-Bois. Featured photo: Diogo Palhais / Unsplash.