Every year visitors from all over the world come to Menton to celebrate the unique Lemon Festival, which is usually held in mid February lasting two weeks. Each year the event goes from strength to strength and this year, the 77th show was no exception, which was themed 'The Cinema'.

The first Lemon Festival took place in 1934 and it was in 1936 that a whole show developed in the Bioves Gardens of Menton with floats decorated with oranges and lemons.

An unbelievable 145 metric tons of fruit are used to create the extravagant floats and displays. The fruit is then sold cheaply to those wishing to make jams and wines and syrups. What a way to recycle!

This was the third time I had seen the Sunday parade and talking to the locals and visitors in the crowd, we all agreed that this was an event that must be experienced at least once in your lifetime... my third was beaten by an Italian lady from Milan who told me that she had been coming to Menton every year since the early 90's.

See more photos from Pascale's Gallery:  Menton Festival 2010