2026 Citizens' Day in Fontainebleau - 14 workshops across the town

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For several years now, Fontainebleau has been organising an annual Citizens' Day A day when residents don gloves and aprons to maintain, embellish, restore and improve the city's public spaces. In 2026, this event will be held on Saturday 6 June, and the programme includes 14 workshops across the city.

The concept comes from a national initiative that began in Alsace around twenty years ago and has since spread to nearly three thousand French towns and villages. The promise is simple: people come up with ideas, do odd jobs, garden, paint or plant, and share a meal at lunchtime, provided by the town and its partners. The mayor and municipal staff take part, as do the residents, in their shirtsleeves. Above all, it's a day for doing things together and creating links between neighbours.

The 14 workshops for 2026

This year, the workshops are as varied as the city's needs. From solidarity gardening to swallow counting, from bench sanding to mural painting, there's something for everyone, depending on their desires, skills and age - some workshops are open to 8-year-olds and over, while others require a good pair of arms.

• Workshop 1 - Helping to prepare a convivial meal (Centre de Loisirs de la Faisanderie, route de l'Ermitage). Prepare and serve lunch for participants. Open to all, 15 places.
• Workshop 2 - Landscaping and planting at the Résidence Rosa Bonheur (36 rue de la Paroisse). Installation of a vegetable garden suitable for residents and planting to beautify the area. From age 8, 15 places.
• Workshop 3 - Embellishing the Leisure Centre's nap room (La Faisanderie Leisure Centre). A coat of paint to brighten up the room. Open to all, 10 places.
• Workshop 4 - Varnishing the outdoor wooden play equipment and painting the benches (La Faisanderie Leisure Centre). Varnish the wooden bus, the maze and repaint the park benches. Open to all, 18 places.
• Workshop 5 - Counting swallows and swifts by bike with the ANVL association (departure from Hôtel de Ville, 40 rue Grande). Observing and mapping fauna in buildings for the Atlas of Communal Biodiversity. Open to all, 15 places - bring your bike.
• Workshop 6 - Help with reclassifying books in the Media Library (Médiathèque municipale, 15 rue Royale). Re-labelling and re-classification to make it easier for readers to find their way around. From age 12, 15 places.
• Workshop 7 - Maintenance of the Treille du Roy vineyard (entrance to the Château grounds, rue André Salomon). Removal of invasive plants on the advice of the historical association. Open to all, 10 places per slot.
• Workshop 8 - Collecting and recycling cigarette butts (departure from Hôtel de Ville). Collection with appropriate equipment, with a view to recycling as insulation for the building industry (decontamination without water or toxic products). Open to all, 20 places.
• Workshop 9 - Walking and thinking about gateways to the forest (departure from Hôtel de Ville). Identification of future developments to provide better signposting for forest departure points. Open to all, 20 places.
• Workshop 10 - Restoration of General de Brack's tomb (Cemetery, 1 place de Verdun). Cleaning and restoration of an Empire officer's grave. Open to all, 15 places.
• Workshop 11 - Outdoor fresco at the Maison des Associations (Maison des Associations, 6 rue du Mont Ussy). Organised by the FLC in partnership with the Fontaineblow gallery. Open to all, 10 places.
• Workshop 12 - Removing cushions and sanding the amphitheatre benches (Maison des Associations, 6 rue du Mont Ussy). Prepare the wooden seats for their next varnishing. Open to all, 10 places.
• Workshop 13 - ONF “Forest fresco” workshop. Awareness-raising workshop run by the Office National des Forêts. Open to all, 10 places.
• Workshop 14 - Creating a hopscotch in the playground at Le Bréau school. Creation of a permanent ground game for schoolchildren. Open to all, 10 places.

The course of the day

The morning begins at 8h30 with a group meeting and briefing, before the groups head off to their respective workshops. Each workshop lasts a few hours, the time it takes to complete the project together. At around midday - 1pm, everyone meets up again for lunch. a convivial meal offered by the City and its partners - an important part of the day, when groups who have worked in different neighbourhoods get together.

The meaning of the approach

Citizens' Day is also part of the Fontainebleau (en) Transition A number of workshops use recycled materials, plant living things or help to count biodiversity. It's a way of taking concrete action, over the course of a day, to improve our daily environment.

For Bellifontains who want to meet their neighbours in a way other than on a street corner, it's an excellent excuse. For newcomers, it's one of the best ways to get involved in local life on a Saturday. For families, there are a number of workshops open to children, giving them a chance to learn about what we call, nicely enough, a sense of community.

Sign up

You can register online using the form provided by the City, which is open until 3 June 2026. Each workshop has a limited number of places, so it's best to register early for the one that interests you. For details and the registration form, see the dedicated page on the City of Fontainebleau website.

Venues, dates and registration

📍 14 locations across Fontainebleau, from the Cemetery to the Maison des Associations, including the Centre de Loisirs de la Faisanderie, the Hôtel de Ville, the Château, the Médiathèque and the école du Bréau.
📅 Saturday 6 June 2026, from 8.30am
🎟️ Free - lunch offered
✉️ Registration until 3 June on fontainebleau.fr